West Ham United have renewed their interest in former Chelsea head coach Graham Potter as they edge closer to sacking Julen Lopetegui, according to reports.
The pressure has been mounting on the Spaniard after a series of heavy defeats that have left the Hammers in 14th place in the Premier League table, just seven points above the drop zone.
Saturday's 4-1 loss at Manchester City was the fifth time that four or more goals have been shipped by Lopetegui's side in all competitions, and came just six days after a humiliating 5-0 home defeat to Liverpool.
The unrest among supporters at London Stadium has been evident for a number of weeks, with performance levels way below what was expected of a side who spent over �150m in the summer transfer window on the likes of Max Kilman, Niclas Fullkrug, Crysencio 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 pair "not on good terms".
Subsequent reports, including from The Guardian, have revealed that West Ham's board have met to discuss the long-term future of Lopetegui, who has already been given a stay of execution after a dismal performance away at London rivals Tottenham Hotspur resulted in a heavy 4-1 defeat.
talkSPORT go as far as to say that a decision to part ways with Lopetegui has already been made, claiming Potter is in talks to take on the top job in east London. Edin Terzic and Max Allegri, formerly at Borussia Dortmund and Juventus respectively, have been touted but are unlikely to take over.
49-year-old Potter has been out of work since leaving Chelsea in April 2023. He was afforded just eight months in charge of the Blues after being appointed on a five-year contract - reward for the progress he'd overseen at Brighton in the preceding three years.
A number of clubs have been linked to Potter since, both at home and abroad, but he has thus far stayed on the sidelines waiting for the right opportunity to come along.
West Ham only appointed Lopetegui in the summer after previous manager David Moyes mutually agreed to part ways with the club following the expiry of his contract. The Scot did a superb job during his second tenure at the club, securing silverware for the first time in 43 years with success in the Conference League.
The Hammers also finished in the top seven in back-to-back seasons, reaching the semi-finals of the Europa League 12 months before they lifted the Conference League after going unbeaten throughout the competition.
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