West Ham United are considering making a shock move for Italy manager Roberto Mancini, according to reports.
What's the latest manager news at West Ham?
The Irons secured a 1-0 Premier League victory over Southampton last weekend, which was a much-needed three points to temporarily lift them out of the relegation zone, but the pressure still very much remains on David Moyes.
The London Stadium outfit have lost 14 of their 27 games this season, which is why they have consistently been in a dangerous position – and it isn’t set to get any easier for them as they still have the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City to play during the run-in.
90min reports that the Irons hierarchy are expected to part ways with 59-year-old Moyes at the end of the season regardless of if he is successfully able to maintain his side’s top-flight status, as a result of failing to improve on his sixth and seventh-place finishes over the last two seasons.
According to Italian outlet CalcioMercatoWeb (via Sport Witness), West Ham have “decided” to make their move for Roberto Mancini, calling the club one of the “most ambitious” in the top flight in the process.
The Azzurri coach has a “temptation” to move back to England and “leave his mark” again following his hugely successful spell at Manchester City, but would require a significant salary. Mancini would need to be offered “at least” €10m (£8m) per year as well as a “clear project” of where the club wants to go.
Would Mancini be a good appointment for West Ham?
Mancini has a contract with Italy that runs until 2026, so compensation and his financial demands would need to be paid in order to prise him away – but he would almost certainly be a fantastic appointment for West Ham.
The Italian had a remarkable record at Man City, winning 113 of his 191 games in charge, drawing 38 and losing just 40, so he has already proven that he’s capable of achieving at this level. The Sky Blues’ ex-coach, whose preferred formation is an attacking 4-3-3 setup, has also secured 14 titles throughout his managerial career across spells in England, Italy and Turkey, so he knows what it takes to be successful.
The Irons could find it extremely difficult to attract any kind of high-profile managers or transfer targets should they be relegated, so they need to do everything they can to stay up and give themselves the best chance of starting afresh in the summer, perhaps with Mancini at the helm.