West Ham plan to interview at least three more managers this week despite holding productive talks with Paulo Fonseca.
David Sullivan, the co-owner, hosted Fonseca and the Shakhtar Donetsk manager’s agent, Jorge Mendes, at his Essex home on Monday and it is understood that positive discussions took place over a 75-minute meeting.
Yet while West Ham were encouraged after speaking to the 45-year-old, who is likely to leave Shakhtar after leading the Ukrainian side to a league and cup double, they do not want to get ahead of themselves. Sources have warned that Fonseca could be using them to attract offers from bigger clubs, leaving West Ham with no option but to meet other candidates as they look to replace David Moyes.
The club retain a strong interest in Rafael Benítez, who was close to joining them when they replaced Sam Allardyce with Slaven Bilic three years ago, but it will not be easy to prise the Spaniard from Newcastle United. Benítez’s contract, which has a year to run, contains a £6m release clause and it is understood that there would be further compensation clauses to pay. Hiring the former Liverpool manager, who has challenged Newcastle to back him in the transfer market, may be too expensive.
West Ham are also expected to interview Unai Emery, who has been replaced by Thomas Tuchel at Paris Saint-Germain, and Hebei China Fortune’s Manuel Pellegrini. Burnley’s Sean Dyche is another option and there is also admiration for David Wagner’s work at Huddersfield Town. However, there has been no contact with Marco Silva, who may replace Allardyce at Everton soon.
It is an ambitious shortlist and West Ham will need to work hard to attract one of their preferred picks. Fonseca, targeted by Everton this season, led Shakhtar to the last 16 of the Champions League and has earned a reputation as one of the brightest young managers in Europe, while Emery has just spent two years working with some of the world’s best footballers at PSG.
West Ham know that the position cannot remain unoccupied for too long. They are effectively without a manager after Moyes’s six-month deal expired on Sunday night and the aim is to resolve the situation by the end of next week.
Club sources have rated Moyes’s chances of being offered a new deal at no more than 25%. Yet West Ham have not completely counted the 55-year-old out of the running before holding final talks with him next week.
One complication, however, is that Moyes may turn them down if he is asked to stay. The Scot, who saved West Ham from relegation, has expressed doubts about taking the job and has said that he expects to receive offers from elsewhere.