West Ham United are being linked with Lazio manager Maurizio Sarri as a potential replacement for David Moyes, but the Italian boss could prove to be Avram Grant 2.0 at the London Stadium.
Could West Ham appoint Maurizio Sarri?
According to Italian news outlet Il Messaggero, Sarri has asked for assurances about summer transfers from Lazio before committing his future to the club, something which the Serie A side are currently unwilling to provide.
As a result, it is suggested that an exit could be on the cards for the former Chelsea manager this month, with Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham and Everton all named as interested parties.
Moyes is a man under pressure at West Ham given the east London outfit currently sit in a relegation spot in the Premier League, although the board are yet to pull the trigger on the Scot due to his achievements in seasons gone by.
Would Sarri be a good appointment for West Ham?
If they were to replace the former Manchester United boss in the near future, the club should look to hire a progressive, young manager to aid the Hammers' long-term project, so should be avoiding a 64-year-old such as Sarri, who was criticised for his previous spell in the Premier League.
The Italian manager did secure a third-placed finish with Chelsea, as well as winning the Europa League in 2019, but fans were not disappointed to see him leave for Juventus the following summer, as his style of play was lamented throughout his sole season at Stamford Bridge.
Eden Hazard was often the saviour for the Italian that season, providing 16 goals and 15 assists in 37 Premier League appearances, and without him, there is no telling whether he would have survived.
Jermaine Jenas criticised the experienced manager's set-up on Match of the Day 2 when two late goals saw Chelsea escape the Cardiff City Stadium with three points in 2019.
He said (via Daily Star):
“I can understand the Chelsea fans' frustrations. I think until Eden Hazard comes onto the pitch it was boring.
“They were passing the ball for the sake of passing the ball, there were no crosses coming into the box, it was just very much sideways and backwards.
“That is not what Chelsea are about, so I understand their frustrations.”
Considering West Ham's woes in front of goal so far this campaign, which see them ranked as one of the lowest scorers in the division with just 24 goals, the last thing the fans would want to see is another manager playing negative football.
The Hammer have a history of hiring former Chelsea managers, as Avram Grant arrived at the club in 2010 but managed just 1.12 points per game in his time at Upton Park, with the Hammers finishing bottom of the Premier League in the 2010/11 campaign.
Like Sarri, Grant was an ageing manager who struggled to win over the Chelsea fans and left Stamford Bridge sooner than expected, so the Hammers could be heading for a worrying repeat disaster if they choose to hire Sarri as Moyes' successor.
