West Ham have asked Graham Potter to become their new manager after deciding to sack Julen Lopetegui. Potter held talks with the club’s largest shareholder, David Sullivan, on Monday night and is mulling over whether to accept the offer.
Lopetegui has not been officially sacked yet but the Spaniard is understood to be on borrowed time. The former Wolves manager has been in charge since the summer, when he replaced David Moyes, and has overseen heavy defeats by Liverpool and Manchester City in his past two matches.
Lopetegui was almost sacked last month and has been under constant pressure this season. The 58-year-old remains in his post for now, with West Ham due to visit Aston Villa in the third round of the FA Cup on Friday, but his days at the London Stadium are numbered.
Potter, who has been out of work since leaving Chelsea in April 2023, knows the job is his if he wants it. There are still details to iron out, though, and nothing has been finalised yet. Potter, who also has admirers at Everton, held discussions with West Ham last month, only for Lopetegui to be given more time.
The former Brighton manager’s talks with Sullivan came after a day in which it emerged that Tim Steidten, the technical director, has been staying away from the training ground after a further breakdown in his relationship with Lopetegui.
Multiple sources have said that Lopetegui asked Steidten to stay away from training. This has been denied by West Ham, who have attributed the German’s absence to him focusing on this month’s transfer window. However it is hard to see how Steidten and Lopetegui can continue to work together. Steidten, who is also under pressure, has been looking for a new manager for several months.
One of West Ham’s previous targets, Sérgio Conceição, has joined Milan, and the former Borussia Dortmund manager Edin Terzic is thought to be cool on the idea of replacing Lopetegui. Concerns over Max Allegri’s English make a move for the former Juventus manager an unlikely appointment.
Steidten, who has an office at the training ground and has faced scrutiny over some of his signings, was also told to stay away from training by Lopetegui’s predecessor, Moyes, last season.
West Ham, who are 14th in the league, seven points above the bottom three, have shipped goals at an alarming rate under Lopetegui. They face key home league games against Fulham and Crystal Palace next week.
The Hammers created a number of chances against City last Saturday but poor defending has weakened Lopetegui’s position and the forward line has been hit by the absence of Michail Antonio and Jarrod Bowen, who is out for two months with a broken foot.
The club are looking at additions in attack and are considering a loan move for Brighton’s Evan Ferguson, who is also wanted by Fulham. The Wolves striker Hwang Hee‑chan is also of interest and a move for the Chelsea midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka is a possibility. West Ham also like the Manchester City youngster James McAtee, although they have limited funds available.
Insiders have said Steidten, who was hired in the summer of 2023, is still playing an active role in recruitment. But while his role has not been downgraded, questions have been asked about his work and he has become unpopular with some staff members. Doubts over Steidten’s knowledge of English football have surfaced and it is understood the board are taking a more active role in transfers this month.
