West Ham have held talks with Liverpool managerial target Ruben Amorim and ex-Wolves boss Julen Lopetegui as potential replacements for David Moyes.

The Hammers’ boss is out of contract at the end of the season but stated in February that he has been offered a new deal and that the decision over whether he stays or leaves is in his own hands.

Should Moyes depart the club in the summer, chief executive Tim Steidten will be tasked with finding his successor.

Steidten has drawn up a list of potential candidates and Mail Sport understands that talks have taken place with representatives for Amorim and Lopetegui, with Lille head coach Paulo Fonseca and Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna also under consideration by the club. 

Sporting Lisbon boss Amorim was thought to be a strong contender to take over from Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool. Sources close to the club have said previously he was one of a number of candidates on the list. 

West Ham United have held talks with Liverpool managerial target Ruben Amorim (above) 

The 39-year-old has led Sporting to within touching distance of a second Portuguese league title in four seasons.

Amorim could be available to English clubs for £12.8million. Liverpool sources have not yet denied he is out of the running for the job.

Portuguese reports suggested he had struck an agreement with Liverpool but those close to the club played this down and were eager to state he was just one name on a shortlist.

New Liverpool CEO Michael Edwards and sporting director Richard Hughes were said to be ready to go ‘brave over popular’ after fan-favourite Xabi Alonso ruled himself out of the running.

Lopetegui is thought to be a more viable option for West Ham. The 57-year-old has been out of work since leaving Wolves in the summer but is keen to get back into management sooner rather than later.

A decision on Moyes and his potential replacement is not imminent and will not take place until after the season.

Moyes was left furious and said he was ‘embarrassed’ by his team’s performance after their 5-2 defeat by Crystal Palace on Sunday.

‘I am so disappointed for supporters who came in today and in truth I am embarrassed to sit here and be speaking on behalf of the team and the way they have performed but I am the manager,’ Moyes said.

‘I have got to say I have not had many teams who have played like that in my whole career.

‘Maybe we’ve lost a wee bit of the tough culture, the pride in making sure that we didn’t concede and were hard to play against and difficult opposition. We were none of them.’

Moyes refused to take questions on his future but said he had ‘no problem’ if the decision was taken out of his hands.