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West Ham are poised to sack Julen Lopetegui today as they head towards appointing Graham Potter as their new boss.
Potter has been locked in talks with owner David Sullivan over the past 48 hours with a view to replacing Lopetegui.
Those discussions are now at their final stages and once complete, the expectation is Lopetegui will be formally relieved of his duties.
Lopetegui’s press conference scheduled for Wednesday afternoon has been cancelled.
Sources close to Lopetegui know his sacking is now just a matter of time.
Mail Sport revealed on Tuesday that there remained hope that a deal with Potter, who has been out of work since his sacking by Chelsea in April 2023, could be completed despite an apparent delay.
Julen Lopetegui is set to be relieved of his duties as West Ham manager following the side’s dismal run
Former Chelsea and Brighton boss Graham Potter has been in talks with the club over replacing the Spaniard
The Hammers are winless in their last five Premier League matches, a run that includes heavy defeats to Liverpool and Manchester City
Sources said on Tuesday night that discussions were ‘delicately poised’ as the Hammers look to get a deal for Englishman over the line.
As of early Tuesday evening, Lopetegui had still not been formally told that he was losing his job.
Intriguingly, Everton, who are deciding whether to sack Sean Dyche, are believed to hold a level of interest in Potter.
Sources have indicated that there have been concerns at the London Stadium that the opportunity to join Everton under new ownership is an attractive prospect to Potter.
West Ham ideally want Potter to take the job initially until the end of the season before re-assessing. It is understood the length of contract is a point that still requires resolving.
In the background, the club have worked on a plan B in the event of Potter turning down the role.
Among those believed to be under consideration is Christophe Galtier, who is currently head coach at Qatari club Al Duhail.
Long-term target Paulo Fonseca remains on West Ham’s radar, too. Fonseca has come close to joining the club in the past and is currently out of work after leaving AC Milan at the end of last year.
Mail Sport understands that deals for Galtier and Fonseca would be relatively straight-forward to tie up, with both candidates aware of West Ham’s interest. Edin Terzic and Michael Carrick also have admirers at West Ham.
