A West Ham United star could be close to making a move to Saudi Arabia, with these next few days described as “decisive” when it comes to his potential exit.
Lopetegui pressure mounting as West Ham consider January action
Julen Lopetegui failed to guide his side to a much-needed win over fellow strugglers Everton last Saturday, drawing 0-0, and their stalemate did little to alleviate concerns surrounding the manager’s suitability to replace David Moyes.
West Ham could hire Premier League legend to brilliantly replace Lopetegui
West Ham must replace Lopetegui with this Premier League legend
ByConnor HoldenNov 14, 2024
The 58-year-old has been under mounting pressure in the last few weeks, having overseen just three league wins so far, with reports suggesting that West Ham are sounding out replacements for Lopetegui already.
It is even believed that Lopetegui is frustrating crucial club figureheads with late U-turns over key decisions on matchdays, while talkSPORT reported recently that “several” senior players are not behind the West Ham boss.
Match
Date
Opponent
Competition
Result
#13
09/11/2024
Everton (H)
Premier League
0-0 draw
#12
02/11/2024
Nottingham Forest (A)
Premier League
3-0 loss
#11
27/10/2024
Man United (H)
Premier League
2-1 win
#10
19/10/2024
Tottenham (A)
Premier League
4-1 loss
#9
05/10/2024
Ipswich (H)
Premier League
4-1 win
#8
28/09/2024
Brentford (A)
Premier League
1-1 draw
#7
25/09/2024
Liverpool (A)
Carabao Cup
5-1 loss
#6
21/09/2024
Chelsea (H)
Premier League
3-0 loss
#5
14/09/2024
Fulham (A)
Premier League
1-1 draw
#4
31/08/2024
Man City (H)
Premier League
3-1 loss
#3
28/08/2024
Bournemouth (H)
Carabao Cup
1-0 win
#2
24/08/2024
Crystal Palace (A)
Premier League
2-0 win
#1
17/08/2024
Aston Villa (H)
Premier League
2-1 loss
Lopetegui hasn’t exactly been helped by the ongoing crisis over summer signing Niclas Fullkrug, who was brought in to end West Ham’s reliance on Michail Antonio and Danny Ings going forward.
The Germany international, who scored 16 goals in all competitions for Borussia Dortmund last season, has been sidelined with a niggling achilles tendon injury, which he picked up on international duty in September.
Lopetegui has urged West Ham to make January signings, with the club apparently considering that possibility. There are also reports that star players are growing frustrated, like winger Mohammed Kudus, and an update has come to light on his future this afternoon.
Kudus could be close to Saudi move with next few days "decisive"
According to reports out of Spain, the Ghana international has an offer from the Saudi Pro League, and these next few days could be “decisive” in determining his future at Rush Green.
It is believed Kudus could be “very close” to moving to Saudi Arabia, which would be a blow for Lopetegui amid the plethora of other issues he’s been forced to deal with lately.
The “underrated” forward is one of West Ham’s most crucial forward players, having completed more successful take-ons per 90 than any other player in the squad (WhoScored), which has attracted rumoured interest from the likes of Liverpool as they search for a potential Mohammed Salah replacement.
It would be surprising if Kudus, who West Ham signed for just £38 million, does opt for a Saudi switch at this stage of his career, but as we’ve seen from the likes of Ruben Neves, we cannot entirely rule it out either.