Sporting Lisbon manager Rúben Amorim and his agent, Raúl Costa, flew to Stansted, London on a private jet, but the trip was not financed by West Ham or David Sullivan. Amorim returned to Portugal on the same jet shortly afterward, declining to disclose to reporters the purpose of his visit to England.

Following a flurry of activity and speculation yesterday, reports suggest that Amorim’s meetings in England were not positive. It is also important to note that West Ham has consistently stated that no decisions will be made until the end of the season, and the club still plans to meet with David Moyes to discuss the way forward.

Amorim has two years remaining on his contract with Lisbon, which includes a reported buyout/compensation clause of £12.8 million.

Amorim supposedly boarding a West Ham chartered jet to London Stansted

Meanwhile, Fabrizio Romano has reported that West Ham presented Amorim with a proposal, and he has returned to the UK to make a decision about his future.

West Ham is refraining from commenting on any speculation regarding a potential replacement for David Moyes, insisting that a final decision will only be made at the end of the season.

The Ruben Amorim to West Ham rumours are spreading like wildfire, with mainstream media now reporting The Hammers’ interest as fact.

As ever, Claret & Hugh have contacted their top sources within the club, but they remain tight-lipped. The official stance remains the same… David Moyes‘ managerial position will be assessed at the end of the season.

Unofficially, it appears that even Moyes himself is resigned to leaving East London, and the club is actively looking at replacements.

Signing Amorim would demonstrate the ultimate ambition from West Ham

Ambitious coach with a bright future

Amorim is considered one of the brightest coaching talents in world football. The top division in Portugal is always considered a three-horse race, but the truth is that Sporting hadn’t finished above Porto or Benfica for years before Amorim came along.

He plays great football and is brilliant with youth players, but he was handed a lesson in the Europa League by Atalanta’s Gasperini. However, that shouldn’t detract from the fine work he’s done at both Sporting and Braga.

Personally, I’m still struggling to get my head around West Ham paying a transfer fee for a manager. We’ve always paid big wages, even going back as far as Sam Allardyce, who was one of the world’s highest-paid managers even in the Championship. Manuel Pellegrini was also on a significant wage, yet for some reason, this seems bigger.

It would show an enormous amount of ambition for West Ham to poach one of the brightest young talents in world football. It would also be concrete evidence of a project in progress that began with Tim Steidten’s recruitment last year.

I still need some convincing, and I’m half expecting David Moyes to renew or Steve Bruce to be appointed with Tony Pulis as his assistant. However, if the Hammers’ ownership manages to pull this coup off, it has the potential to be the singular move that truly propels the club forward.