An elite level manager who reportedly took English lessons and was a preferred candidate of David Sullivan’s for the West Ham job last year has suddenly become available.
After relegation to the Championship, Nuno Espirito Santo is expected to depart West Ham.
Hammers News was the first to reveal Nuno will leave West Ham one way or another if they drop.
When the Portuguese was being coy on his future ahead of the season finale against Leeds, West Ham sources doubled down that Nuno would be on his way out.
Sullivan’s previous ‘preferred choice’ Allegri suddenly available
With an official announcement expected in the next 48 hours, attention will quickly turn to who will replace Nuno in the Hammers hotseat for a gruelling Championship campaign.
West Ham’s owners have already made it clear they expect promotion next season and the club will be far and away the biggest the second tier has seen since Newcastle and Aston Villa.
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Scott Parker is believed to be a leading candidate for the job while Craig Bellamy and Slaven Bilic have also been linked.
But there may yet be an intriguing twist because an elite manager who took English lessons for the West Ham job is now suddenly available.
Max Allegri is a big name in management but he may well find himself short of top job offers after being sacked by AC Milan after a season of ‘unequivocal failure’.
Allegri failed to get the Italian giants into the Champions League and has paid the price.
Despite demotion to the second tier, there will be few clubs bigger than West Ham – with the allure of London – in for the six-time Serie A winner.
When Julen Lopetegui was under pressure at West Ham, Hammers News revealed a six-way board split in the West Ham hierarchy over who should succeed him.
Allegri took English lessons amid West Ham links
At the time a journalist source close to the situation revealed the different camps had been championing contrasting candidates.
Tim Steidten, who was on his last legs at the time too, was said to want compatriots Edin Terzic or Roger Schmidt.
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Former vice-chairman Karren Brady was pushing hard for Graham Potter – who is very close friends with her husband Paul Peschisolido.
Sporting director Mark Noble preferred then Middlesbrough boss and fellow Hammers Academy graduate Michael Carrick.
Two unnamed agents, described as “influential” figures in West Ham’s decision-making, put forward Christophe Galtier and ex Juventus boss Allegri.
After revealing the board split, it was claimed David Sullivan wanted a caretaker manager plan if he was to sack Lopetegui.
That plan, it was claimed, was for Potter to take the reins for the rest of the season, which would then be reviewed depending on how things went, but ultimately with the idea of appointing Allegri in the summer.
Italian tactician Allegri was described as David Sullivan’s ‘ultimate preferred choice’.
And the news came after Allegri was seen in London for an extended period while he took intensive English lessons.
A leading Sky Sports European football expert said that was because Allegri was being lined up by the Hammers.
There were even claims that West Ham and Allegri had held productive talks in the background.
The Italian wanted the West Ham job, but not halfway through the season – it was claimed at the time.
Allegri also refused to deny talks with West Ham when ducking out of an interview using his new-found grasp of English.
Since then Potter was kept on while Allegri landed the Milan job.
He is now out of work, though, following his sacking and it may just give Sullivan and the board food for thought for ambitious appointment.
Some fans might question how much Allegri would know about the second tier of English football.
But he stuck with Juve when they were demoted and got the Turin side back into Serie A.
With a lack of elite options, Allegri could be one to watch.
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