West Ham United manager David Moyes continues to divide the fanbase, and he has now been dealt a potential worry over his long-term stay as the club consider a decorated alternative.
Moyes expects new contract with West Ham supporters split
Moyes admitted to the media recently that talks are set to resume over a proposed fresh contract, with his current deal expiring at the end of this Premier League season.
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"We'll get back on it now the transfer window is shut. We're well down the line and moving on with it," said Moyes on his future and new contract to the press.
"We'll pick that up again in the next few weeks."
While the Scotsman is sure of his decision to remain in east London, West Ham's followers are a bit more diverse in their opinion. Some believe that Moyes has fully earned the right to stay and is the correct coach to take them forward, coming after he transformed them from relegation-battlers to UEFA Conference League victors in the space of three seasons.
West Ham have achieved European qualification for three consecutive seasons and a fourth certainly isn't off the cards, but there are some loyal supporters who believe Moyes has already done all he can with his peak years in charge now out of the way.
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There are also some complaints about Moyes' pragmatic approach to games and general style of play, with the 60-year-old partly to blame for West Ham's failure to sign a left-winger in January as well (Malik Ouzia).
Amid these concerns, journalist Dean Jones has now written for Sportslens that the club's hierarchy are slightly more tentative about announcing a new deal, with West Ham still yet to win a single game in all competitions this year.
West Ham considering Paulo Fonseca to replace Moyes
They're also exploring alternative options to Moyes if they do decide to let the ex-Manchester United boss leave at the end of 23/24. One of them, according to Jones, is current Lille head coach Paulo Fonseca.
The 50-year-old, who's won nine pieces of major silverware across spells in charge of Shakhtar Donetsk, SC Braga and FC Porto, is apparently on Tim Steidten's radar. West Ham are considering Fonseca as an option to succeed Moyes, with Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick also being targeted.
While there is little else added beyond this in regard to Fonseca, reliable transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano shared a promising bit of background on the tactician when Spurs were linked with him in 2021.
"He is perfect in the dressing room and perfect in his relationship with the players, which is something really needed at Tottenham at the moment," said Romano (via talkSPORT).
“He likes to play a 3-4-2-1 formation and likes to play with quality and fast players behind the striker."