West Ham United have renewed their interest in former Chelsea boss Graham Potter as they move closer to sacking Julen Lopetegui, according to reports.
Pressure is mounting on the Spaniard following a string of heavy defeats that have left the Hammers in 14th place in the Premier League table, just seven points above the relegation zone.
Saturday Losing to Manchester City 4-1 it was the fifth time Lopetegui’s side had scored four or more goals in all competitions and it came just six days after a humiliating Home defeat 5-0 to Liverpool.
The unrest among fans at the London Stadium has been evident for several weeks now, with performance levels far below expectations from a team that spent more than £150m this summer transfer window like Max Kilman, Niclas Fullkrug, Crysencia Summerville and Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
Multiple sources reported early on Monday that West Ham’s technical director, Tim Steidten, has been asked to stay away from the training ground as tensions rise behind the scenes, with the couple “are not on good terms”.
Subsequent reports, including from The Guardianrevealed that the West Ham board have met to discuss the long-term future of Lopetegui, who has already been granted a stay of execution following a poor performance at London rivals Tottenham Hotspur that resulted in a heavy 4-1 defeat.
talkSPORT going so far as to say the decision to part ways with Lopetegui has already been made, claiming Potter is in talks to take over the East London job. Edin Terzic and Max Allegri, formerly of Borussia Dortmund and Juventus, have been praised but are unlikely to take over.
Potter, 49, has been out of work since leaving Chelsea in April 2023. He was given just eight months in charge of the Blues after being appointed on a five-year contract – a reward for the progress he oversaw at Brighton over the previous three years.
A number of clubs have since been linked with Potter, both at home and abroad, but he has remained on the sidelines until now, waiting for the right opportunity to emerge.
West Ham only appointed Lopetegui in the summer after previous manager David Moyes parted ways with the club following the expiry of his contract. The Scot did an excellent job during his second spell at the club, securing silverware for the first time in 43 years with success in Conference League.
The Hammers also finished in the top seven in back-to-back seasons, reaching the semi-finals European league 12 months before they lifted the Conference League after going unbeaten throughout the competition.
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