With it seeming that manager David Moyes’s future at West Ham United may be a little doubt given all the speculation suggesting their were off pitch issues with the new sporting director – that led to a very slow summer transfer window for them – it seems that having led them to the Europa Conference League title the other year, David Sullivan and the board still have faith in him to take them forward.
As we head towards the New Year and the 2024 portion of the campaign, it is now being reported that the Scottish gaffer has now pencilled in talks for a new contract extension in the early part of next year.
60 year old Moyes is in charge of the club for the second time, and the rumours about the new contract talks came out following their 2-0 victory over Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal side – which also saw them move into sixth place in the Premier League table – and he confirmed the plans when he later met with the media.
“We’re getting ready to talk. I don’t think any of us are jumping to get it done too quickly. I think we are just happy to make sure we get it done. We will do – I don’t see any problems with that at all. We are not one of the top teams. We are trying to get up and grow the team. For West Ham to be in Europe is a great period.”
Many fans, and those in the wider world of football, had assumed that as contract talks were not already ongoing that it was a pointer towards the future, and having joined them originally back in 2017, that spell came to a natural end as his deal was not renewed and many made comparisons to that time and just assumed history might repeat itself.
His return has naturally been far more of a success, since coming back to the London Stadium in December 2019 he has led them to two top seven finishes in the English top flight, and obviously with their European adventure last year, it was the clubs first major trophy in the last 43 years.
West Ham have also released their annual figures for the year ending 31 May 2023, and they showed a pre tax net loss of just £18.3 million. However, these figures were mainly based on their prior £184 million outlay on players, and they did not take into account Declan Rice’s £105 million transfer to Arsenal over the summer, nor the revenue from the historic ECL victory over Fiorentina.
The accounts statement may not mention Moyes by name, but there is a strong hint from Sullivan, who states the boards ‘…strong relationship with the manager will continue to assist in building and improving the squad.’
Hammers fans will have to see what the New Year brings.