Last updated on .From the section West Ham David Moyes and assistant Stuart Pearce left West Ham after only six months West Ham say they will appoint "a manager who has a proven record of success at the highest level of the game" within the next seven days. The Hammers are looking for their fourth manager since 2015 after David Moyes left the club on Wednesday. Joint chairman David Sullivan said the Hammers had left "no stone unturned" in choosing the person they believe is the "right man to take West Ham forward". Sullivan added they "are now very close to reaching an agreement". Former Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini, who is managing Chinese side Hebei China Fortune, and Newcastle manager Rafael Benitez are the bookmakers' favourites for the post. "This is an exciting time for our football club," Sullivan said. "We are preparing to appoint a manager who has a proven record of success at the highest level of the game." A West Ham statement on Thursday said the club was "extremely confident of appointing a high-calibre first-team manager, who has a proven record both in the Premier League and European football". Moyes replaced Slaven Bilic on a short-term contract in November with the club in the relegation zone. He presided over nine wins and 10 draws from 31 games as the Hammers finished 13th in the Premier League, nine points clear of the drop zone.<doc-sep>Manuel Pellegrini is expected to ­arrive at West Ham United on Monday to sign a deal to become their next manager. The 64-year-old is due to fly into London for talks with co-owner David Sullivan. The Chilean will ­inspect the London Stadium and West Ham’s training facilities ­before discussing personal terms. Pellegrini is well-known to Sullivan and has held talks in the past with West Ham. He has informed his current club, Hebei China Fortune, that he is leaving.<doc-sep>The Hammers are keen to lure a new boss to the club but it remains to be seen if they will be able to land a marquee name Unai Emery is West Ham United’s top target to replace David Moyes, with Paulo Fonseca set to sign a new contract at Shakhtar Donetsk. West Ham have decided not to retain Moyes at the end of his short-term contract , with the former Manchester United boss having kept the club in the Premier League. Joint-chairman David Sullivan confirmed the club’s intention to appoint Moyes’s replacement within the next 10 days and Emery is set to hold talks over the role. The Spaniard has agreed to leave Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the Ligue 1 season and he will be replaced at the French champions by Thomas Tuchel . Emery is set to meet with Sullivan next week and the chairman is excited by the idea of appointing such a marquee name, though the 46-year-old does not speak English, which could prove prohibitive. He has also been linked with the Arsenal job following Arsene Wenger's decision to stand down, although he has claimed that he had yet to receive an offer from the Gunners. Rafael Benitez is also a potentially alluring appointment, but the Newcastle United manager is highly rated by Magpies owner Mike Ashley, who inserted a £6 million release clause into the Spaniard’s contract. Benitez is understood to want an annual salary of £10m on top, meaning any appointment is unlikely to be cost effective. Sullivan and David Gold, though, are under Benitez’s spell, and attempted to appoint the ex-Liverpool boss before his move to Real Madrid in 2015, with the Hammers eventually hiring Slaven Bilic. Paulo Fonseca has also been interviewed for the role, and he would be a less expensive appointment, but he has decided to sign a new two-year contract with Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk. West Ham decided to dispense with Moyes amid simmering fan discontent in east London after the club finished the Premier League season in 13th, nine points clear of the relegation zone. A wildly unpopular move to the London Stadium from Upton Park in 2016 has led to ongoing protests, while poor results saw a slide towards the bottom three, and calls for the boardroom trio of Sullivan, Gold and Karren Brady to leave the club. Moyes guided the club to eight wins in his tenure after replacing Bilic in November, including success over Chelsea and a 4-1 thumping of the impressive Huddersfield, and nine draws, taking four points from games against Arsenal, Tottenham, Chelsea and Manchester United. However, 10 losses, eight of which involved conceding three or more goals, has led to a hankering for change at West Ham, despite a morale-boosting 3-1 final day victory over Everton. Article continues below Gold had stated on Tuesday that he “hopes” Moyes stays on, but the club have instead opted to go down a different route. With West Ham wanting to play attractive, attacking football, it is understood that Moyes’ conservative approach throughout his reign – despite numerous heavy defeats – had frustrated many. Moyes, himself, had been disappointed in a number of leaks to the media, while his January signings Patrice Evra and striker Jordan Hugill failed to make a significant impact.<doc-sep>Make the team more solid Manuel Pellegrini has said he wants to play football that will delight the fans but nobody will be smiling if West Ham’s defending does not improve. David Moyes settled on a 3-4-2-1 system because he did not trust his ponderous side to function properly in a more open formation. Yet it was a stop-gap manoeuvre and West Ham still finished with the Premier League’s joint-worst defensive record alongside relegated Stoke, conceding 68 goals. Pellegrini will need to sort out that weakness before thinking about a more expansive style. There have been too many humiliations in the past two seasons. Fill the squad’s glaring holes Adrián is the only senior goalkeeper, there is not enough energy in midfield or cover in defence, Michail Antonio and Andy Carroll are rarely fit, Moyes had nobody to play on the right wing, there is too much reliance on Marko Arnautovic and Manuel Lanzini and the bench was often filled by novices and free transfers last season. Pellegrini has spoken about making five signings but the squad requires more surgery. The question is how much money is available, though, and the Chilean will need to sell players. Sam Byram, Jordan Hugill and Reece Oxford, who is wanted by Borussia Mönchengladbach, could all go. Carroll and Javier Hernández should also be vulnerable. Help to improve the club’s recruitment West Ham’s signings since moving to London Stadium in 2016 have largely been underwhelming and that has led to David Sullivan, the club’s influential co-owner, receiving a lot of criticism. However, Sullivan has handed Pellegrini control of transfers and West Ham are looking for a new head of recruitment. Málaga’s Mario Husillos and Leicester City’s Eduardo Macià are potential appointments and whoever comes in must implement a more focused scouting system. West Ham are crying out for greater youth and intensity. Assess whether Oxford is worth keeping The defender spent most of last season on loan at Mönchengladbach and has been a target for Red Bull Leipzig. Oxford enjoyed his time in Germany and was glad to return to the Bundesliga after being briefly recalled by Moyes over Christmas. Yet while Gladbach want to sign the 19-year-old in a £12m deal, Pellegrini should give a chance to a player who announced himself with a fine performance against Arsenal three years ago. Oxford is a versatile talent and although there have been doubts over his attitude, it is debatable whether West Ham should be willing to let one of their academy products leave. Sign up for the Fiver, our free daily football email. Deal with an unpopular board West Ham have struggled since leaving Upton Park and the board came in for fierce criticism during the home defeat by Burnley in March. With that in mind, perhaps Pellegrini’s experience at Málaga will be relevant. The former Manchester City manager dealt with a difficult owner at La Rosaleda and kept his players onside when money dried up, so he might know how to handle Sullivan. Yet whether Pellegrini’s appointment on a deal worth up to £7m a year represents value for money remains to be seen. The 64-year-old’s predecessors were undermined in the transfer market. Having made a big statement, though, Sullivan has to back it up.<doc-sep>
Last updated on .From the section West Ham Pellegrini led Man City to the semi-final of the Champions League in 2016 West Ham have appointed one of the world's "most respected" football coaches in Manuel Pellegrini, according to joint chairman David Sullivan. Pellegrini, 64, has signed a three-year deal at the London Stadium. The former Manchester City and Real Madrid manager left his job with Hebei China Fortune over the weekend and succeeds David Moyes. "I am excited about this project. My mentality is always to have a winning mentality," said Pellegrini. "I think that West Ham had a difficult season last season and I hope that next season we are going to play football that will delight the fans. I always play attacking football and we must try to reach important targets in the season. "I am sure that, with the players we have in this moment in the squad, and bringing maybe another four or five in, we are going to have a strong team." Chilean Pellegrini, who had been a priority target from the start of West Ham's search for a new manager, will be joined at London Stadium by assistant Ruben Cousillas. He replaces former Everton and Manchester United manager Moyes, who was appointed West Ham boss in November 2017 but released at the end of his contract after guiding West Ham to 13th place. "Manuel brings a reputation for attacking football and getting the best out of his players," said Sullivan. "We believe he will attract new talent to the London Stadium as well as improving the current squad. "Manuel is the first West Ham United manager to have a Premier League title on his CV, and we believe his experience, quality and proven record of taking teams forward quickly will ensure that he is successful here." West Ham had explored the possibility of hiring Newcastle United manager Rafael Benitez, however they quickly concluded it would be hugely difficult for the Spaniard to leave St James' Park. Pellegrini, who was on a huge contract in China, has agreed to take a pay cut but it is anticipated he will become the highest paid manager in West Ham's history. Sullivan had previously said he intended to hire someone who had experience at the highest level. Pellegrini won the 2013-14 Premier League title and two EFL Cups during his three years at Manchester City, in addition to taking the club to the Champions League semi-finals. West Ham have experienced huge problems during their first two seasons after leaving Upton Park. They won just seven home Premier League games this season, a campaign which was marred by crowd trouble at London Stadium. Five fans were banned for life by the club for running on to the pitch during their home fixture with Burnley on 10 March. Other fans were also banned for life for throwing coins or objects "with intent to injure or harm".