West Ham confirm David Moyes to leave at end of season as Julen Lopetegui nears new manager appointment

David Moyes will leave West Ham at the end of the season, the club have announced.

The Scot’s contract expires this summer and while West Ham are yet to confirm a successor, Julen Lopetegui is now widely expected to be the club’s next manager.

Both Moyes and the club’s hierarchy have insisted throughout the campaign that no final decision over his future would be taken until after the final game of the season.

However, it has become clear in recent weeks that Moyes would be heading for the exit door.

Sunday’s 5-0 defeat at Chelsea spelled the end of the Hammers’s slim hopes of qualifying for a fourth successive season in Europe and the decision to confirm Moyes’s fate now means he will be afforded a grand send-off in this weekend’s final home game of the season, against Luton.

David Moyes said: “I have enjoyed four and a half brilliant years at West Ham, and the Club is in a stronger position than when I returned back in 2019.

“When I joined West Ham for a second time, the Club was one place above the relegation zone, and it has been a terrific journey to have achieved three consecutive seasons in Europe.

“After leading the Club to safety, we guided the team to finishes of 6th and 7th in the Premier League, and I was delighted when we won the Europa Conference League title last June – the Club’s first major trophy in 43 years. I would like to thank all the players for their support, and all the success they have achieved, over the last four and a half years.

“I have really enjoyed working with everyone at West Ham, and I would like to thank the Board for giving me the opportunity to manage this great Club. I wish my eventual successor, the Directors, the players, the staff, the fans, and everybody at West Ham, all the very best for the future.”

Moyes was initially appointed West Ham boss in November 2017 and steered the club clear of relegation but was replaced at the end of the season by Manuel Pellegrini.

He returned to the club in December 2019 with the Hammers again in relegation trouble and again took them clear of the drop, before qualifying for Europe in his first full season and earning a new three-year contract.

The 61-year-old will go down as one of the most successful managers in West Ham’s history, having ended the club’s 43-year trophy drought when delivering the Europa Conference League last season, and also reached the semi-finals and quarter-finals of the Europa League in the campaigns either side of that triumph.

Joint-Chairman David Sullivan said: “On behalf of everyone at West Ham United, I would like to offer our sincere thanks and gratitude to David for the contribution he has made to the Football Club during his time as manager.

“David has been responsible for a period of great progress and success in our history, and we are extremely grateful for all of his hard work, commitment and dedication to the role.

“David has been an absolute professional to work with and he will leave with our greatest respect and good wishes – he deserves to be held in the highest esteem for the service he has given to West Ham United, and we wish him every success in the future.

“By making this announcement now, it allows David to get the send-off he deserves from the West Ham supporters and for us all to show our appreciation to him at our final home fixture of the season against Luton Town on Saturday.”

Former Real Madrid and Spain boss Lopetegui is expected to be confirmed as his successor after agreeing terms with the club over the weekend.

The Spaniard has been out of work since leaving Wolves on the eve of the season but brings Premier League experience and has impressed co-chairman David Sullivan during talks.

The Hammers also held discussions with Sporting boss Ruben Amorim but the 39-year-old confirmed on Sunday night that he intends to stay on at the club after leading them to the Portuguese league title.

The club have stated: “The recruitment process for David’s successor has begun. The club will be making no further comment until a new appointment is confirmed.”