A confidant of David Moyes has made a claim about talks with Ruben Amorim which suggests there may still be hope for West Ham.

It seems increasingly likely to be a case of when rather than if David Moyes leaves West Ham next month.

The Scot’s contract is up and both he and the West Ham hierarchy are insisting no decision will be made until after the season finale at Man City.

In the meantime the Hammers have been speaking to all and sundry it seems.

Just 24 hours after last weekend’s hammering at Palace, Ruben Amorim was on a plane for talks with West Ham majority owner David Sullivan at his mansion.

There was a buzz among the fanbase which hasn’t been seen for some time.

The young Sporting boss being a much more palatable name among Hammers fans unimpressed by links to Julen Lopetegui.

There was a feeling that West Ham were going to show some real ambition and answer fans’ calls for a more modern, progressive, attack-minded coach.

Amorim captured imagination of West Ham fans

It all felt too good to be true for the cynics among West Ham’s fanbase, though.

And alas so it proved.

Word emerged from Portugal that the 39-year-old allegedly used the Hammers talks to pressure Liverpool into offering him the job at Anfield.

Whether that is true or not, the door to Liverpool has since been slammed in Amorim’s face as they turn to Arne Slot to succeed Jurgen Klopp.

That in itself, though, has raised a glimmer of hope among eternal West Ham optimists that Amorim could yet replace Moyes. Especially as Bayern are appointing Ralf Ragnick and Xavi is staying at Barca.

Amorim then held a press conference yesterday where he apologised for the timing of his talks with West Ham. But, notably, the Portuguese did not commit his future to Sporting and made it clear the club knew he was meeting with the Hammers.

Of the 13 other managers being linked with the club since, none capture the imagination like Amorim.

Now a Moyes confidant’s claim about the Amorim talks suggest there may still be hope for West Ham.

Claim about Amorim talks suggest there may still be hope

Hammers fans will have heard that Amorim met with Sullivan for three hours but that talks ‘did not go well’.

Call me deluded but surely it would have been clear very early on in that meeting whether it was worthwhile? Three hours is a long time for a conversation over a job to end in a negative outcome.

As a result many fans simply don’t believe it was all bad.

Now Scottish journalist Alan Nixon, who counts Moyes among his close contacts, has laid claim to the real sticking point in the Amorim talks.

And it is something which could yet be resolved. That being West Ham’s reluctance to pay Sporting £13m in compensation.

The compensation clause only applies to non Champions League clubs.

‘£13m compensation the real stumbling block’

Speaking on his Patreon page, Nixon claims that was the true issue at the meeting.

“Lopetegui has also been sounded out by Milan and may be more interested in that challenge as the Serie A side look to replace Stefano Pioli,” Nixon said.

“An official offer from Milan is expected in the near future and Hammers look set to lose out.

“Sporting Lisbon coach Ruben Amorim has also met Hammers but the £13 million compensation is a problem.”

Sullivan has always been reluctant to pay a fee to appoint managers.

It is one of the biggest criticisms levelled against him by fans.

But there is no reason why, if West Ham do not have any other outstanding candidates, Tim Steidten can’t convince the majority owner that Amorim would be worth every penny.

If the club can sink £17.5m on Maxwel Cornet to have him on the bench every week for two years, then why not £4.5m less to hire one of the most coveted and highly-rated young minds in world football?

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