West Ham are considering whether to sack Julen Lopetegui following Saturday’s heavy defeat at Manchester City.
Hammers sources have denied Lopetegui has already been dismissed but accept the former Real Madrid and Spain coach is under huge pressure.
Lopetegui, 58, was on the brink of being sacked prior to last month’s home game with Wolves. But victory in that match triggered a four-game unbeaten run, West Ham’s best of the season.
However, a humiliating 5-0 home defeat by Liverpool was followed by a 4-1 loss at Manchester City to leave West Ham 14th in the table, seven points above the relegation zone.
West Ham’s technical director Tim Steidten has been pictured talking to former Chelsea and Brighton boss Graham Potter, who has previously been linked with the Hammers job.
The photograph has been circulated on social media. Sources have said it is a recent picture but this has not been independently verified.
Lopetegui was brought to West Ham in the summer to succeed David Moyes, who left at the end of his contract. However, the former Wolves boss has not been able to improve either the team’s performance or style, for which Moyes was heavily criticised.
Club officials have privately confirmed Steidten is no longer working out of the club’s training ground, in a move that has echoes of the split between Moyes and the former Bayer Leverkusen technical director towards the end of last season.
West Ham sources said that decision is to allow Steidten to work on transfer targets for the current window. West Ham need a striker after skipper Jarrod Bowen suffered a broken foot and Michail Antonio sustained serious injuries in a car crash last month.
The club’s next game is at Aston Villa in the FA Cup third round on Friday. No clarity has been offered on if Lopetegui will be in charge at Villa Park.
