West Ham United
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West Ham gunning for quick appointment of 49y/o coach after sacking Julen Lopetegui
West Ham are in the market for a new manager
TEAMtalk can confirm West Ham United have sacked Julen Lopetegui and are already in talks to make Graham Potter their new manager.
West Ham allowed David Moyes’ contract to expire at the end of last season as they looked to usher in a new era. Moyes had helped West Ham win the Europa Conference League in 2023 – their first major trophy in 43 years – but club chiefs felt the team was stagnating under him and lacking inspiration.
The Irons went on to land former Wolverhampton Wanderers boss Lopetegui in May, though his spell in charge has not gone to plan.
West Ham sit 14th in the Premier League table after winning just six of their 20 games so far. They have won just twice in their last eight matches, with Saturday’s 4-1 defeat to Manchester City proving to be the last straw for Lopetegui.
News of Lopetegui’s sacking was first broken by journalist Alex Crook, and sources have informed TEAMtalk that the Spaniard has indeed been axed.
TEAMtalk transfer correspondent Fraser Fletcher has revealed that ex-Chelsea and Brighton coach Potter, 49, is a leading candidate to replace Lopetegui.
West Ham are long-term admirers of Potter and have held initial talks about him moving to the London Stadium. Sources expect a deal to be done quickly as club officials try to move on from this disappointing period.
On December 13, TEAMtalk revealed that West Ham are also keen on the likes of Edin Terzic, Massimiliano Allegri and Sergio Conceicao.
However, Terzic and Allegri are both unsure about replacing Lopetegui, while Conceicao has since headed to Italian giants AC Milan.
The first signing of the Potter era at West Ham – should he be officially appointed – could be his former Brighton striker Evan Ferguson.
West Ham have reportedly drawn up a shortlist of centre-forward targets, with Ferguson an attainable option. The East London outfit also like Wolves ace Hwang Hee-chan and Middlesbrough’s Emmanuel Latte Lath.
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