Yahoo News Former Wolves boss 'accepts' offer to return to Premier League
Former Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Julen Lopetegui has reportedly agreed to take over from David Moyes at Premier League rivals West Ham United.
Speculation has been rife about Moyes' position at the London Stadium, and a 5-0 at Chelsea on Sunday did little to quiet the rumours after a run of just one win in nine Premier League games.
The Scot's contract runs out in the summer and it now seems the Hammers' have sealed a deal for the former Real Madrid boss to replace him, just a year on from Moyes ending their 43-year wait for silverware by winning the UEFA Conference League.
Lopetegui quit Molineux last August on the eve of the new season after a dispute over player spending. He has been out of work since then, but now looks set to end his Premier League exile, according to multiple sources.
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The Athletic's David Ornstein reports that nothing is yet confirmed officially, but the Spaniard has been West Ham technical director Tim Steidten's main target for a new manager.
The Mail reports: "Wolves' improvement under Lopetegui following his arrival in 2022 is said to have been one of the key factors in his emergence as a serious contender for the [West Ham] job.
"The Molineux club were in the relegation zone with 10 points when he was appointed as Bruno Lage's replacement in 2022 but eventually finished 13th, ending the campaign with a 1.35 points per game ratio - the seventh highest of any top-flight boss in his 23 matches in charge.
"Equally, during his time in Sevilla he recorded a more successful points per match ratio and win percentage than now Aston Villa boss Unai Emery did during his spell at the club between 2013-2016."
Lopetegui is said to have rejected clubs across England and Europe - including Bayern Munich - in favour of replacing Moyes, and even received a strong reference from Wolves.
Gary O'Neil replaced Lopetegui at Molineux, and has defied the odds to guide Wolves to 12th with two games to play when they were predicted to go down.
