West Ham will appoint Malaga sporting director Mario Husillos as their new director of football, according to Claret and Hugh.
The Hammers insider website report that rumours Leicester City senior man Eduardo Macia was to take up the role are wide of the mark, with 59-year-old Argentine Husillos the man chosen by Pellegrini to work as head of recruitment.
An insider is quoted as saying: “Mario Husillos is/will be the director of football. The manager will have the final say and will only take players he thinks will improve the team. Pellegrini is in constant contact via emails and mobile phones in Chile.”
Husillos worked with Pellegrini at Malaga during one of the most successful periods in the club’s history, with the La Liga club qualifying for the knockout stages of the Champions League on their watch.
OPINION
It is not surprising to hear that Pellegrini and the club have chosen Husillos to work as the club’s new director of football. The Argentine worked wonders with Pellegrini at Malaga before the Chilean left for Manchester City, and Hammers bosses will be hoping that similar success will come in east London. Signings such as Isco and Santi Cazorla show the extensive knowledge and contacts that these two men bring to the table, and if the club were to secure the signature of such players then success will surely come in the near future. The only potential worry when it comes to Husillos is his lack of success recently, with a switch to work at Olympiakos only lasting a short while, with a return to Malaga seeing the club relegated by a big margin this season. Hopefully his reunion with Pellegrini will help him get his mojo back, and the bigger funds available at the London Stadium may also help.
