Five possible replacements for David Moyes at West Ham

Cameron Smith

• Updated: 12 Feb 2024 10:58 GMT
• 4 min read

West Ham United’s humiliating 6-0 defeat to Arsenal on Sunday has ramped up the pressure on David Moyes, who is now the third-most likely Premier League manager to be sacked next according to the bookies.

The Hammers enjoyed European success last season, however they have taken a step backwards this campaign and many critics believe Moyes has taken the team as far as he can.

The former Everton and Manchester United manager has serious credit in the bank thanks to West Ham’s Europa Conference League triumph, but the embarrassing nature of their loss to Arsenal and the fact they haven’t won any of their past seven games in all competitions is cause for concern.

If West Ham do pull the trigger and sack Moyes, who should they bring in to replace him? FootballTransfers takes a look at five potential candidates.

Graham Potter

Graham Potter has been out of work since being sacked by Chelsea in April 2023 and a potential opening at West Ham could be his perfect route back into the game.

The 48-year-old has also been tipped for the Crystal Palace job amid Roy Hodgson’s struggles, but West Ham are a far more appealing prospect as things stand.

Potter excelled at Brighton and while his achievements on the south coast have been slightly diminished by the impact Roberto De Zerbi has made, there is no doubting his coaching ability.

His spell at Chelsea wasn’t great, but Potter performed just as well as Mauricio Pochettino is currently doing at Stamford Bridge and few could argue the Argentine is a poor manager.

As a result, Potter to West Ham makes perfect sense.

Ruben Amorim

Ruben Amorin has been tipped for a Premier League job for several seasons, but he hasn’t yet made the leap from Sporting CP.

A potential opening at West Ham may not be the forward step he would’ve hoped to make, but it could be the perfect club to hone his skills at.

Amorim has been linked with Tottenham, Chelsea and Liverpool over the past year so it would be a massive coup for the Hammers if they are able to persuade him to move to the London Stadium.

He typically deploys a back five formation at Sporting and this alteration may require some additional investment, but it would suit Mohammed Kudus, who could become Amorim’s Marcus Edwards at West Ham.

Amorim would be a slightly risky appointment given his lack of Premier League experience, but he’s an upgrade on Moyes and could help guide the Hammers into a new era.

Michael Carrick

FootballTransfers understand that Michael Carrick is on Crystal Palace’s shortlist of potential candidates to replace Hodgson this summer, however West Ham should pounce now.

The Middlesbrough manager came through West Ham’s academy and a triumphant return to the club makes perfect sense.

He has shown his tactical brilliance since being appointed at Boro and while things haven’t been ideal this campaign, Carrick has been dealt a tough hand with regards to returning loanees and injury issues.

Carrick is a great coach and should be high on West Ham’s list of possible Moyes successors.

Paulo Fonseca

Lille head coach Paulo Fonseca has been tipped as one of the more likely candidates to replace Moyes at West Ham.

He enjoyed a successful stint at Shakhtar Donetsk and joined Lille in 2022 after a two-year spell in Serie A with Roma. Fonseca guided Lille to a fifth-place finish in Ligue 1 during his first campaign at the club and they are fifth once again in 2023-24.

An attack-minded coach, Fonseca would likely implement a 4-2-3-1 system if he joins West Ham, with Paqueta able to play in an advanced midfield role upon his return from injury.

However, while he is one of the favourites with the bookies, West Ham may not be able to buy him out of his Lille contract.

Will Still

Will Still was close to joining Sunderland last year and a move to West Ham therefore represents a fairly large step up.

The Stade Reims manager rose to viral fame last season after working miracles in France, along with his background in Football Manager and fluency in multiple languages.

Reims lie in mid-table this season, meaning it would be a slight gamble to appoint Still, especially considering his lack of experience at the top level.