A Sky Sports journalist close to Tim Steidten says a manager has rejected West Ham amid claims of a warning about David Sullivan.
West Ham are holding a board meeting in the next 24 hours to decide whether to sack Julen Lopetegui.
A plethora of managers have been linked as potential replacements over the last month.
Speculation has gone into overdrive since West Ham’s 3-1 defeat at Leicester.
The Hammers board will reportedly made the big decision on Friday.
In the meantime reports claim the club have been approaching managers on their shortlist to gauge interest should they pull the trigger on Lopetegui.
Latest reports suggest the Hammers are split on whether to sack the under fire Spaniard.
That’s despite West Ham’s away fans fully turning on the manager this week.
The list of alleged targets compiled by the London Stadium hierarchy is long and varied.
Sky Sports journalist: Manager rejects West Ham
It is said to have been whittled down recently to Graham Potter, Sergio Conceicao, Roger Schmidt, Kasper Hjulmand, Sebastien Hoeness, Max Allegri and Edin Terzic.
Although this week has seen West Ham hone in on three or four names.
Two English managers currently employed elsewhere have privately made it clear they want the West Ham job too.
There is growing turmoil at the club.
Reports of further bust-ups between Lopetegui and star players are making headlines.
A top club insider has even claimed supporters are being lied to about chaos in the dressing room.
As the Hammers board deliberate over whether to make the change, big news has emerged from a reporter very close to technical director Tim Steidten.
And it seems one name can be scratched off the shortlist.
A Sky Sports journalist claims a manager target has rejected West Ham amid claims of a David Sullivan warning.
Florian Plettenberg is a top reporter for Sky Sports Germany.
He is well connected with Steidten, who he has interviewed on several occasions.
Major update comes amid Sullivan warning claims
Hammers board source Sean Whetstone even recently suggested Plettenberg is being fed information directly by Steidten.
Now the reporter claims Edin Terzic, the former Hammers coach who was the tactical brains behind the Farewell Boleyn campaign, has turned down his old club.
Plettenberg claims Terzic, who recently turned down Roma, will not be taking over from Lopetegui.
But Kasper Hjulmand is very much in the reckoning.
“Edin Terzic will NOT become the new manager of West Ham if Julen Lopetegui would be sacked,” Plettenberg said.
“Kasper Hjulmand, a serious option as reported. Alongside other candidates.”
Terzic’s alleged snub comes in the same week claims emerged on a longstanding West Ham website about the former Hammer.
Before Plettenberg’s revelation, a top source on Hammers website KUMB reported the same thing.
Terzic snubs Hammers after alleged Bilic call
And the site’s source said it is because ex West Ham boss Slaven Bilic advised Terzic against working with Sullivan.
Well before Plettenberg made his Thursday claim, the source stated Bilic was expected to advise Terzic against accepting the West Ham head coach role should it be offered to him, as long as Sullivan remains in charge at boardroom level.
Sullivan is going nowhere so that is the end of the Terzic links it seems.
Hammers fans were divided over bringing the German back to east London.
The ex Dortmund boss is held in high regard at West Ham and remains close with sporting director Mark Noble.
But he can be struck off the list of potential candidates now.
That will see more focus on the likes of Conceicao, Potter and outlier Hjulmand – the former Denmark manager – as West Ham edge closer to a decision.
If Lopetegui remains in post the pressure on his shoulders will become almost unbearable ahead of a crunch game against his old club Wolves.
Many Hammers fans are arguing a victory against one of the worst teams in the league would prove nothing about Lopetegui.
So even if he stays and West Ham win that match, many supporters will still be calling for change.
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