West Ham United have held talks over an ambitious move to appoint Ruben Amorim as manager if David Moyes leaves the club.
Moyes is out of contract this summer and despite the Scot saying in February he has been offered a new deal, no decision will be made on his future until the season finishes.
In the meantime West Ham are duty-bound to formulate contingency plans and Amorim features prominently in their thinking, with discussions taking place between the parties.
Another option the east London side have assessed is Julen Lopetegui, however Amorim has emerged as the leading target at present.
While the potential opening is thought to carry appeal for the 39-year-old Sporting Lisbon head coach, it is unclear where West Ham figure among his possible opportunities.
Amorim has also been under consideration at Liverpool, although it looks unlikely he will prove the preferred candidate in their process to replace outgoing boss Jurgen Klopp.
Moyes — who guided the club to a first European trophy since 1965 with the Europa Conference League last season — has overseen 12 league defeats to date this year, including Sunday’s loss to Crystal Palace, which Moyes described as “so bad, I can hardly put it into words”.
West Ham, eighth in the Premier League table, are next in action against Liverpool on Saturday.
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This felt like the end of an era for West Ham and David Moyes – clarity is needed soon
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