West Ham chief David Sullivan is being urged to make a big Mauricio Pochettino U-turn but there’s a problem.
If Julen Lopetegui didn’t already feel a touch unwelcome ahead of his unveiling as West Ham boss, he will now.
The Spaniard, out of work since walking out on Wolves last August, was left licking his wounds when AC Milan pulled the plug on appointing him two weeks ago.
Lopetegui had reportedly been in talks with the Italian giants for six months about replacing Stefano Piolo.
But a large-scale online fan protest saw Milan’s bosses withdraw a three-year contract, much to Lopetegui’s ‘shock and disbelief’.
That sent Lopetegui into the arms of West Ham majority owner David Sullivan after talks with Ruben Amorim went awry.
Cloud of negativity over Lopetegui appointment
Sullivan was ‘won over’ by the 57-year-old and it has been the worst kept secret in football that Lopetegui will be replacing David Moyes in the Hammers hotseat.
Reaction to the impending appointment has been almost universally negative.
Bar Guillem Balague speaking up for his compatriot, opinion on the appointment is largely filled with criticism, doubt and scorn.
An official announcement is yet to be made by West Ham.
And in the meantime both Roberto De Zerbi and Mauricio Pochettino have become available.
Pochettino has been heavily linked with West Ham in the recent past.
Many fans were excited at the prospect of hiring Pochettino when he was linked previously.
It seems nothing has changed on that front.
Because West Ham chief Sullivan is being urged to make a Pochettino U-turn but there’s a problem.
West Ham chief urged to make Pochettino U-turn
When Chelsea announced Pochettino’s departure yesterday evening it raised eyebrows among West Ham fans.
Social media, fan forums and West Ham WhatsApp groups have been awash with Hammers fans saying Sullivan should have waited until the summer to see who was available before making a decision on Moyes’ replacement.
With no official confirmation from West Ham on Lopetegui yet, some are even pleading with Sullivan to ‘do a Milan’ and withdraw the offer to the ex Sevilla boss so they can get Pochettino instead.
It seems a large proportion of West Ham fans would be much more receptive to Pochettino replacing Moyes than Lopetegui.
But there’s a big and likely insurmountable problem.
Well around £15m of them to be more precise.
Because Lopetegui actually put pen to paper on what we believe will be a three-year contract on Wednesday May 8th – as also reported by talkSPORT at the time.
Sullivan’s £15m Lopetegui problem
This is very much a done deal. So hopes that Sullivan and the Hammers board might suddenly find the urge to appoint Pochettino too irresistible an opportunity to turn down are pie-in-the-sky.
The only way that would be possible now would be for Sullivan and co to pay up Lopetegui’s contract in full.
While we don’t know his salary, it would be at least £15m in wages as a pay-off.
If Sullivan and West Ham were reluctant to pay to get a manager out of another club then they’re certainly not going to be paying off Lopetegui to go for Pochettino.
So Lopetegui will be West Ham’s 18th permanent manage. There is no doubt about that.
And to help West Ham fans get their heads around that fact, why not hear from the man himself about the football philosophy, approach and style he will bring to the club.