West Ham United have approached Chelsea over signing one of Enzo Maresca’s men in the January transfer window, with technical director Tim Steidten looking to bolster the Hammers squad in a bid to rescue their Premier League campaign.
Julen Lopetegui on the brink at West Ham
Manager Julen Lopetegui has guided the east Londoners to just 4 wins from a possible 12 in the top flight so far, and West Ham have been heavily criticised for their performances under the Spaniard’s tutelage.
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Julen Lopetegui is one game away from the sack.
Expectations are high at the London Stadium following David Moyes’ memorable four-season stay.
West Ham ended their long wait for a piece of major silverware during Moyes’ tenure, qualifying for successive campaigns in Europe alongside their Conference League triumph, and the club spent north of £120 million on new signings for Lopetegui in an attempt to keep that momentum going.
West Ham’s most recent results | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Match | Date | Opponent | Competition | Result |
#16 | 03/12/2024 | Leicester City (A) | Premier League | 3-1 loss |
#15 | 30/11/2024 | Arsenal (H) | Premier League | 5-2 loss |
#14 | 26/11/2024 | Newcastle United (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 |
However, it hasn’t really gone to plan, with Lopetegui branded “all over the place” and “unable to coach a coherent team” by members of the media like talkSPORT’s Tom Rennie.
After their lacklustre start to the campaign and heavy back-to-back defeats courtesy of Arsenal and Leicester City, it is believed Lopetegui has been handed one last chance against Wolves to save his job (via The Telegraph).
If David Sullivan does opt to hand the 58-year-old his P45, rumoured managerial candidates for the West Ham job include Graham Potter, Sergio Conceicao, Kasper Hjulmand, Roger Schmidt, Thomas Frank and Massimiliano Allegri.
Former Borussia Dortmund boss Edin Terzic has already rejected an offer from West Ham according to reports out of Germany, so they cannot turn to their former backroom coach.
West Ham approach Chelsea over signing Tosin in January
Amid their potential search for a new manager, Steidten is also busy plotting ways to strengthen the squad next month.
West Ham have shipped goal after goal this season and currently have one of the worst defensive records in the division, leading to their interest in signing £120,000-per-week Chelsea defender Tosin Adarabioyo on loan.
The free-agent summer signing is currently behind Wesley Fofana and Levi Colwill in Maresca’s pecking order, starting just three league games all season, with the Irons now looking to offer him a route out of Stamford Bridge.
According to Foot Mercato journalist Santi Aouna, West Ham have already approached Chelsea over signing Tosin ahead of January, and they wish to strike a temporary deal for the “fast” centre-back, who’s been lauded for his physicality in the past by Pep Guardiola.
Chelsea’s stance on this is unclear for now, but the 27-year-old’s proven top-flight experience and quality could be a real asset for West Ham.
