Moyes will need a strong finish to earn contract extension

David Moyes may need to finish the season strongly to get an extension to his manager’s contract which expires at the end of June.

With the Hammers out of the Europa League at the quarter-final stage after a valiant effort on Thursday, qualification to Europe for a record fourth is still in reach.

No final decision has been made on the manager’s future, but there is some feeling that he will not be offered a contract extension if the Hammers don’t qualify for Europe.

Technical director Tim Steidten has already drawn up a list of potential alternatives should the West Ham hot seat become available but this has been billed very much as a contingency plan designed not to undermine the manager.

Jose Mourinho and Graham Potter are not seen as potential replacements by the West Ham board, neither are Will Still or Ipswich Town’s Kieran McKenna, both of which are seen as too much of a gamble.

Thomas Tuchel has made it known to intermediaries he would only return to the Premier League for a top-four club and has little interest in managing the Hammers.

It remains to be seen whether Eddie Howe, Gary O’Neill or Marco Silva would be approached but they are all in contract and it would cost a significant amount of compensation which makes them unlikely.

One name offered to the Hammers last summer is former Spain boss Luis Enrique, the PSG manager who looks like he will now stay in France.

With PSG top of Ligue 1 and in the semi-finals of the Champions League it seems unlikely he will leave any time soon.