West Ham sound out Champions League final coach amid growing pressure on Julen Lopetegui
West Ham have sounded out former Borussia Dortmund manager Edin Terzic as a possible replacement for Julen Lopetegui, talkSPORT understands.
The Hammers are preparing for the eventuality that the former Wolverhampton Wanderers manager is unable to reverse their poor start to the season.
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As previously reported, Hammers owner David Sullivan is willing to give Lopetegui more time.
However, the West Ham boss is alarmed by their record of just three wins in their first 11 Premier League games.
Director of football Tim Steidten is a big admirer of Terzic, who led Dortmund to the Champions League final last season.
The 42-year-old worked as a scout and Dortmund academy coach during former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp's time at the club.
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He then served as Slaven Bilic's assistant at Turkish club Besiktas between 2013 and 2015, before the pair left together for West Ham.
They were at the club between 2015 and 2017.
West Ham finished seventh and eleventh, their second season being the club's first at the London Stadium.
Bilic was fired after a poor run of results at the start of the 2017/18 season.
Terzic left with him and then returned to Dortmund as coach in 2018.
He served as caretaker manager at the end of the 2020/21 season and became permanent boss ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.
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Last season he guided the club to fifth place, as well as the Champions League final.
However, Real Madrid defeated them 2-0 in the big event at Wembley in June.
Despite being under contract until 2025, Terzic left the club at the end of last season, citing a desire to allow the club to begin a new era.
Lopetegui is already under pressure this season, with the Hammers 14th in the table.
They are five points above Crystal Palace, third from bottom.
Last season they finished ninth, saying goodbye to veteran manager David Moyes.
While the West Ham hierarchy have already begun exploring alternatives for Moyes' successor, talkSPORT's Rory Jennings has tipped Ruud van Nistelrooy to take charge.
The former Manchester United star, who has just finished his time as interim manager at Old Trafford, is now available.
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Lopetegui will need to get results quickly, and their next clash will be at Newcastle on Monday, live on talkSPORT.
West Ham will host Arsenal at the end of the month.
