West Ham ‘like’ Gary O’Neil if David Moyes leaves club

Highlights

• West Ham United are fans of the job Gary O’Neil has done at Wolverhampton Wanderers as they mull over whether to make a managerial change.
• Hammers boss David Moyes has insisted that he will not make a decision over whether to sign a new contract until the end of the season.
• Respected journalist Dean Jones believes that West Ham will leave Wolves supporters concerned if they attempt to lure O’Neil to the London Stadium.

West Ham United ‘like’ Gary O’Neil ahead of potentially seeking a successor to David Moyes in the London Stadium dugout, and journalist Dean Jones has told GIVEMESPORT that the Hammers’ interest will strike ‘fear’ into the Wolverhampton Wanderers fanbase.

The east Londoners ended a run of eight consecutive matches without a win by sealing a 4-2 victory over Brentford on Monday, but the woeful run of form during the early stages of 2024 – which included a 6-0 humiliation at the hands of Arsenal – has resulted in there being increased speculation over whether a managerial change could be made by the hierarchy.

Moyes has struggled to secure the full backing of the fanbase despite winning the Europa Conference League last season, with sections of the travelling supporters calling for him to be sacked during West Ham’s 2-0 loss to Nottingham Forest, and he entered the final six months of his contract at the turn of the year.

Moyes playing waiting game over fresh terms amid O’Neil links

Moyes has revealed that he will wait until the end of the season before deciding whether to pen a new contract, according to MailOnline, after fresh terms have been put on the table by the West Ham board despite overseeing a run which has threatened to derail their attempts to bag a European qualification place.

The report suggests that the Scottish tactician, who ended the Hammers’ 43-year wait for a major trophy by enjoying glory in the Europa Conference League at the end of last season, is delaying his decision after holding discussions with key figures behind the scenes and wanting to ensure he complies with his family’s wishes.

But respected journalist Jones recently told GIVEMESPORT that West Ham making a move for O’Neil could not be ruled out after he has led Wolves away from an expected relegation battle and into the top half of the Premier League, while statistics highlight that he has registered a similar points-per-game ratio to Moyes this season.

O’Neil already has an affinity with the West Ham fans thanks to enjoying a spell on the capital club’s books during his playing career, with him racking up 10 goal contributions over the course of 56 appearances, but he is not the only manager to have been linked with replacing Moyes.

Julen Lopetegui, Steve Cooper and Graham Potter have also been added to a list of candidates to potentially take charge of the Hammers, but there are fears that long-term target Thomas Tuchel would not consider heading to the London Stadium despite it emerging that he is set to leave reigning Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich at the end of the season.

It is understood that technical director Tim Steidten has been tasked with identifying a possible successor to Moyes, and options are being assessed as West Ham co-owner David Sullivan and other key decision-makers are aware that the style of play and recent results have caused concern within the fanbase.

Dean Jones – O’Neil likely to be among contenders to become West Ham’s next boss

Jones is confident that West Ham are on the lookout for fresh impetus in the dugout, despite Moyes claiming that his destiny is in his own hands, and Wolves will be concerned that the east Londoners could attempt to prise O’Neil away from Molineux ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.

Although the reputable journalist believes the 40-year-old will not feature at the top of Hammers co-owner Sullivan’s list of targets, he understands that the former Bournemouth chief has gained admiring glances from key figures working behind the scenes at the London Stadium.

Jones told GIVEMESPORT:

“Now that Wolves are getting towards the stage where they are safe, I guess the fear isn’t over whether Gary O’Neil is good enough to be their manager. The fear might begin to be whether they are going to be able to keep hold of O’Neil now.

“At the moment, we’re getting towards the stage where West Ham are going to be looking for a new manager. While Gary O’Neil isn’t going to be the top target for them, I have heard that he is somebody they like.

“I would be surprised if he didn’t at least crop up on a list of names if and when Moyes does end up losing his job, so that is one to keep in mind.

“As soon as he starts getting linked to West Ham, I think Wolves fans will suddenly love him even more and want him to stay.”

Hammers facing battle to keep Paqueta out of Man City’s clutches

Manchester City could reignite their interest in Lucas Paqueta during the summer, according to the Telegraph, as West Ham’s talisman has been identified as a potential replacement ahead of Bernardo Silva potentially leaving the reigning Premier League champions when the transfer window reopens.

The report suggests that the Brazilian has been on Sky Blues chief Pep Guardiola’s radar since his club-record arrival at the London Stadium for £51million in August 2022, and he has been pinpointed as an ideal option to head to the Etihad Stadium if there are outgoings in the coming months.

Reliable journalist Jones recently told GIVEMESPORT that Paqueta could be influential in Moyes’ attempts to save his job, having been absent for a number of fixtures before returning to the starting line-up against Brentford earlier this week thanks to suffering an injury during the FA Cup third round tie against Bristol City in January.

Manchester City backed out of a £80million deal to acquire the former Lyon playmaker when the Football Association opened a betting investigation against him during the early stages of the season, forcing Guardiola to turn his attentions elsewhere, but their admiration has refused to go away.

All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt