West Ham set to sack Lopetegui, eyes Potter as replacement | West Ham United

West Ham are set to sack Julen Lopetegui and are considering replacing him with Graham Potter. Lopetegui has been in charge since the summer, when he replaced David Moyes, and has overseen heavy defeats to Liverpool and Manchester City in his last two matches.

Potter, a former Chelsea and Brighton manager, has been unemployed since his seven-month stay at Stamford Bridge ended in April 2023. One of West Ham’s previous targets, Sérgio Conceição, has joined Milan, and the former manager from Borussia Dortmund Edin Terzic We think it’s cool to replace Lopetegui. Concerns over Max Allegri’s English make a move from the former Juventus manager unlikely.

Lopetegui was on the verge of being sacked last month but survived a four-game unbeaten run before West Ham were beaten 5-0 at home by Liverpool and 4-1 at Manchester City.

West Ham technical director Tim Steidten is staying away from the training ground after another breakdown in his relationship with Lopetegui. Multiple sources said Lopetegui asked Steidten to stay away from the training ground. This was denied by West Ham, who attributed the German’s absence to his focus on this month’s transfer window, but the situation appears tense.

Steidten, who has an office at the training ground and has come under scrutiny for some of his signings, has been involved in identifying potential replacements for Lopetegui. The duo is not on good terms. Steidten was also told to stay away from training by Lopetegui’s predecessor David Moyes last season.

West Ham, 14th in the Premier League, seven points above the bottom three, face a trip to Aston Villa on Friday in the FA Cup third round. They have been scoring goals at an alarming rate and face key games at home against Fulham and Crystal Palace next week.

West Ham created several chances against City last Saturday, but poor defending weakened Lopetegui’s position and the attack was weakened by the unavailability of Michail Antonio and Jarrod Bowen, who was out for two months due to injury. broken foot.

West Ham are considering additions in attack and are considering a loan move for Brighton’s Evan Ferguson, who is also wanted by Fulham. Wolves striker Hwang Hee-chan is also of interest and a move for Chelsea midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka is a possibility. West Ham are also keen on City youngster James McAtee, although they have limited funds.

Insiders said Steidten, hired in the summer of 2023, still plays an active role in recruiting. But while the German’s role was not downgraded, questions were asked about his work and he became unpopular with some staff. Doubts over Steidten’s knowledge of English football have surfaced and it is understood the board is taking a more active role in transfers this month.