Thomas Tuchel stormed out of an interview after a legend sang the praises of a manager linked with a move to West Ham.
Intense speculation continues to swirl over the future of David Moyes at West Ham beyond this season.
And one of the names being increasingly linked as his potential replacement is making serious waves in Germany.
Last week we spoke to the top source inside West Ham about Moyes’ situation.
But that does not change the fact the Scot is in the last year of his Hammers contract.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen v West Ham United – Pre-Season Friendly
Tuchel upset by legend’s praise for manager linked with West Ham
In the main, West Ham do not tend to discuss manager contracts until the new year.
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Reports, though, have claimed Moyes is unlikely to see his contract extended with technical director Tim Steidten already assessing replacements.
It was claimed by a source inside West Ham last month that Steidten’s appointment could see the German help West Ham replace Moyes with Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso next summer.
West Ham have been heavily linked with Alonso since the German’s arrival at West Ham – as reported here on Hammers News.
AFC Bournemouth v West Ham United – Premier League
Photo by Robin Jones – AFC Bournemouth/AFC Bournemouth via Getty Images
Alonso stock continues to rise
We reported yesterday that Alonso has a £13m release clause in his contract at Leverkusen, who are taking the Bundesliga by storm and top the table 11 games in with 10 wins and a draw.
The man Steidten appointed at his former club Leverkusen showed West Ham what might be if the Moyes succession plan for Alonso is true when his side played the Hammers off the park in a thumping pre-season win.
But he’s also impressing influential figures with close ties to Bayern Munich.
Their manager Thomas Tuchel stormed out of an interview after a legend sang the praises of the manager linked with a West Ham move as Alonso’s stock continues to rise.
FC Bayern München v 1. FC Heidenheim 1846 – Bundesliga
Now it looks like West Ham will be too late
Lothar Matthaus is not afraid to make big statements. And his calls for Bayern to replace Tuchel with Alonso sparked a spat live on TV with the ex Chelsea boss after the Borussia Dortmund game.
Hearing him wax lyrical about Alonso earlier in the day, contrasting his style with Tuchel’s, clearly rattled the Bayern boss. Matthaus is so convinced of West Ham-linked Alonso’s talent that he believes Leverkusen can end Bayern’s long reign and that their coach is destined for even bigger things.
The better Leverkusen do and the more Alonso is talked about, the less likely it will be that West Ham are able to lure him to east London – regardless of the Steidten connection.
Perhaps the Hammers really should have gone all out to get him before he signed that extension back in the summer.
