Amorim back in Portugal after talks for Hammers job

RUBEN AMORIM has returned to Portugal after talks with West Ham in London yesterday.

The Hammers have identified the 39-year-old Sporting manager (below) as a potential successor to David Moyes as they consider candidates to take over at the end of the season. Lille manager Paulo Fonseca and former Wolves boss Julen Lopetegui are also under consideration. Amorim has been strongly linked with the Liverpool job and his £12.8million release clause could prove problematic to any deal with West Ham. He has also been linked with the Bayern Munich job.

Amorim appears ready to leave Sporting, where he is competing for a league and cup double, and is widely regarded as one of the best young coaches in Europe.

Chelsea remain admirers of Amorim after interviewing him before appointing both Graham Potter and Mauricio Pochettino last season.

Other vacancies are cropping up in European football after AC Milan decided to part ways with Stefano Pioli at the end of the season.

Erik ten Hag is under increased pressure at Manchester United following their near-collapse against Coventry in the FA Cup semi-final on Sunday.

Former Paris Saint-Germain manager Christophe Galtier has also been mentioned as a potential candidate to replace Moyes. He is expected to leave Al-Duhail in Qatar.

West Ham sources insist a decision on Moyes will be made at the end of the season, but he looks increasingly likely to leave after their 5-2 defeat to Crystal Palace on Sunday.

His contract expires in the summer and the Hammers look set to miss out on European football next season.

West Ham have won just four of their 21 matches in 2024, leaving them eighth in the Premier League with four games left. Bayer Leverkusen knocked them out of the Europa League last week.