Luiz Felipe is strong in the tackle and in the air, and possesses all of the attributes needed to succeed with West Ham in the Premier League.

Word of warning though…he is extremely injury prone. Luiz Felipe has missed 49 games through injury since 2018 (Transfermarkt).

So one would imagine that a move to the more robust and physical Premier League could prove to be problematic for him.

If West Ham sign Luiz Felipe for £17 million, I actually think it could be a good deal for us. However, his record with injury problems should undoubtedly be a red flag for Moyes.

RAED MORE

It’s been one month since Ruben Zadkovich’s surprise departure as Perth Glory head coach, and the Western Australian outfit is yet to announce his permanent replacement as the club approaches a key moment in its pre-season.

The Glory squad reconvened earlier than most around the Isuzu UTE A-League in preparation for a pair of fixtures: a friendly against Premier League outfit West Ham United at Optus Stadium on July 15, before a trip to Darwin to face Macarthur FC in the Australia Cup playoffs just three days later.

The two fixtures will take place under the guidance of an interim head coach, against the backdrop of ownership uncertainty defining an offseason of upheaval at a club that has endured what chief executive Anthony Radich can only describe as a “tumultuous few years” stretching back to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Radich spoke to KEEPUP ahead of welcoming West Ham to Perth to provide an update on the club’s head coach hunt and pursuit of new owners.

A familiar face set to steady the ship

Former Perth Glory head coach Kenny Lowe will return to the role on an interim basis to take charge against both West Ham and Macarthur, Radich confirmed.

Lowe is the academy director at the club and although his passion lies with developing the next generation of Glory stars, Radich said Lowe was happy to step into the position in the interim as the club continued its search for a permanent leader.

“With the advent of both games, it meant the squad was back sooner than it might normally be – but they’ve come back, and it’s a change in environment,” said Radich.

“We’ve got Kenny Lowe in the interim capacity as coach. Kenny is a very effervescent person, a very positive person and I think the players have enjoyed the experience of working under him for the last few weeks.

“He’s our academy director. His heart is really centred on developing youth and trying to get the best out of our academies, but given where we’re at he’s put his hand up. That’s the sort of person he is, a high-quality person who wants the best for the club. He said: ‘Whatever I can do Anthony to help in this interim period, I’m happy to do’.

As for the managerial hunt, Radich told local media in June that the club was stockpiling CVs both from at home and abroad – but the hunt for the right candidate is still ongoing.

Radich says the aim is to have a permanent head coach in place from the beginning of August.

“It’s going well,” he said. “We’re probably at the final stages now trying to lock that down. I’m hopeful within the next couple of weeks we have it secured, definitely, by the end of the month fingers crossed.

“We’re on the home straight now. From August on, the hope is we have a permanent coaching appointment made, and we go forward from there.”