West Ham United manager Julen Lopetegui wants a reunion with one of his key players from his time at Sevilla to turn around the Hammers’ season and save his job.
Lopetegui future in the balance
Despite earning a credible 2-0 win away at Newcastle on Monday night, patience will be wearing thin for Lopetegui at West Ham. Despite heavy investment in the transfer market over the summer, the Hammers currently find themselves in a relegation battle, having won just 4 of their 12 Premier League games this term.
Lopetegui, who replaced David Moyes as manager in May, has also faced heavy criticism for his team selection, including from former Sky Sports presenter Jeff Stelling.
Match
Date
Opponent
Competition
Result
#14
25/11/2024
Newcastle (A)
Premier League
2-0 win
#13
09/11/2024
Everton (H)
Premier League
0-0 draw
#12
02/11/2024
Nottingham Forest (A)
Premier League
3-0 loss
#11
27/10/2024
Man United (H)
Premier League
2-1 win
#10
19/10/2024
Tottenham (A)
Premier League
4-1 loss
#9
05/10/2024
Ipswich (H)
Premier League
4-1 win
#8
28/09/2024
Brentford (A)
Premier League
1-1 draw
#7
25/09/2024
Liverpool (A)
Carabao Cup
5-1 loss
#6
21/09/2024
Chelsea (H)
Premier League
3-0 loss
#5
14/09/2024
Fulham (A)
Premier League
1-1 draw
#4
31/08/2024
Man City (H)
Premier League
3-1 loss
#3
28/08/2024
Bournemouth (H)
Carabao Cup
1-0 win
#2
24/08/2024
Crystal Palace (A)
Premier League
2-0 win
#1
17/08/2024
Aston Villa (H)
Premier League
2-1 loss
As a result of West Ham’s poor start to the season, the club’s board are now understood to be considering Lopetegui’s future.
Speaking to Football Insider earlier this month, former West Ham recruitment employee Mick Brown said of the Spaniard’s situation: “He could lose his job and be sacked immediately, at any time, things can change with the click of a finger.
“When he was appointed to take over from Moyesy, they expected him to pick up where he left off and keep them moving up the table. From what I’ve heard, they were keen to give him time at first, but that faith is fading quickly.”
Lopetegui wants En-Nesyri
If Lopetegui is to save his West Ham bacon, he will have to turn things around quickly. To help do that, the Sunday Mirror claims he wants to bring Fenerbahce striker Youssef En-Nesyri to the London Stadium in the new year.
The newspaper reported this week, per West Ham Zone, that Lopetegui believes En-Nesyri could be the solution to saving his West Ham job after a successful partnership with Sevilla.
The Morocco striker scored 24 goals in all competitions for Sevilla under the guidance of Lopetegui during the 2020/21 season, helping Los Nervionenses to a fourth-placed finish in La Liga.
En-Nesyri rejected a move to West Ham in favour of Fenerbahce last summer, but has since struggled to settle in Turkey, scoring just 5 times in 18 games. Meanwhile, he is thought to be available for a loan move in January.
The 27-year-old was previously praised by former Hammers boss Moyes, who described him in his column for The Times as “an incredible good runner”.
Given Moyes tried to sign the striker on numerous occasions for the east Londoners during his time in charge, it is no surprise the Scot is such a big fan – and it appears Lopetegui also feels there is a role for the En-Nesyri at West Ham.