West Ham United

The Hammers moved to appoint the high-profile Spaniard in the summer having made the decision not to extend the contract of David Moyes.

Having committed to spending well in excess of £150m when loan deals are taken into consideration, the hope and expectation had been that Lopetegui would have West Ham challenging for European qualification as a bare minimum.

Instead, the East Londoners sit in 14th place in the Premier League table on the back of Tuesday's 3-1 defeat at the hands of Leicester City.

Just four wins have been recorded in 14 matches, West Ham also conceding 27 goals - the third highest amount in the division - during that time.

West Ham officials considering change

Although Lopetegui possesses a contract until 2026 which comes with the option of a further 12 months, it appears that he may be on the verge of being removed from his position in the dugout.

According to The Athletic, West Ham's board are discussing the possibility of heading in a different direction.

While the report suggests that they are in no rush to make a decision, West Ham are about to embark on a potentially-pivotal run of fixtures.

As it stands, Lopetegui is focused on squaring off against former club Wolverhampton Wanderers at the London Stadium on Monday night.

Games with Bournemouth, Brighton & Hove Albion and Southampton are to follow ahead of clashes with Liverpool and Manchester City.

Despite sitting just seven points adrift of the top six in the table, West Ham are only six points clear of the relegation zone.

Is Lopetegui able to fight his case?

There can be no denying that Lopetegui is failing to make the most of working with a talented squad at West Ham and the buck ultimately stops with him.

On the flip side, it is unclear whether technical director Tim Steidten has had a bigger say on what players have arrived at the club, plausibly leading Lopetegui needing time for certain players needing to adapt to his playing style.

As mentioned, defence has been the biggest issue, yet no West Ham player has scored more than three times in the Premier League during 2024-25.

Written by

Darren Plant