Tuchel linked with SHOCK Premier League return

Thomas Tuchel could be appointed as the new West Ham United manager should the club fail to offer David Moyes a new contract, according to a report in HITC.

West Ham are without a Premier League win since December 28, when they defeated Arsenal, with three draws and two defeats on their record since then.

The drawn games were against Brighton, Sheffield United and Bournemouth and the Hammers have lost badly in their last two matches.

Manchester United beat them 3-0 at Old Trafford before things reached new depths with Arsenal’s 6-0 win at the London Stadium last week.

To compound the misery, West Ham also slipped out of the FA Cup at the first hurdle, being eliminated by Championship side Bristol City after a replay.

Moyes unsure of new contract

As such, it is understood West Ham bosses are reluctant to hand out a new contract to Moyes, who is currently failing to get the best out of a talented group of players.

The situation is delicate as the 60-year-old Scot took the club to their first major European honour since 1965 in winning the UEFA Europa Conference League last season.

It is believed that Moyes has been at loggerheads with his club’s technical director, Tim Steidten, who, according to HITC, is looking to take a hands-on approach in selecting a new manager.

It could be one or the other if push comes to shove in East London, with Steidten ready to move on this summer if Moyes stays in place.

The 44-year-old German has been linked with the vacant Liverpool sporting director position and is highly regarded from his days at Bayer Leverkusen.

He joined the Hammers last July after a shock Leverkusen exit in March 2023. It was reported that Leverkusen chiefs were unhappy about Steidten being linked with a similar position at Chelsea, the club where Tuchel worked until being sacked by Todd Boehly in 2022.

Steidten was at Leverkusen when the club appointed Xabi Alonso in October 2022 and was renowned as “the pearl diver” for his record in identifying and recruiting playing talent. The likes of Jeremie Frimpong, Piero Hincapie and Edmond Tapsoba were all recruited under his watchful eye.

Steidten and Tuchel would have worked together at Chelsea had the move gone through at the time and it’s understood the pair are on good terms.

Tuchel is under severe pressure at Bayern Munich with the club behind Leverkusen in the chase for the Bundesliga crown.

Having just got over the line in the league last season, Tuchel needed to impress this season but it appears FC Hollywood have regressed.

They are currently 1-0 down on aggregate in the Champions League last-16 to Lazio and Tuchel might well be leaving his post before the end of the season.

Either way, he is likely to be out of a job come summer and, as such, could be appointed by Steidten should he get his way with West Ham owner David Sullivan.