WestHam have announced that Graham Potter will be their new head coach after the club sacked former manager Julen Lopetegui.
Potter has agreed a two-and-a-half-year deal and will take charge of the team for the first time during Friday’s FA Cup third round fixture at Aston Villa.
The 49-year-old makes his return to management 21 months after being sacked by Chelsea in April 2023 following a successful spell as manager of Brighton & Hove Albion.
Negotiations over the contract took place over two days earlier this week and were held up by both parties debating the length of the deal.
“I am delighted to be here,” Potter said. “It was important to me that I waited until a job came along that I felt was right for me, and equally that I was the right fit for the club I am joining. That is the feeling I have with West Ham.
“My conversations with the chairman and the board have been very positive and constructive, we share the same values of hard work and high energy to create the solid foundations that can produce success, and we are on the same wavelength in terms of what is needed in the short-term and then how we want to move the club forward in the medium to long term.
“West Ham is a huge club, at the heart of London, with a tremendous fanbase and great support all around the world. I saw the scenes that followed their Europa Conference League victory in 2023 and it was clear that this is a club with everything in place to become consistently successful, both on and off the pitch.
“The club have made a lot of good progress in recent years and ensured there are some very strong foundations in place to build on. You don’t win a European trophy by fluke – there has to be a good bedrock at a football club for that to happen, and the challenge now is to take that on and build the next steps, to develop a team and a club that the supporters can be proud of.”
It is understood, as reported in The Telegraph, that the Hammers initially offered Potter the role until the end of the season, but an addition was made to automatically renew his contract for two years should he lead West Ham to a specific points tally this term.
A club statement reads: “West Ham United is delighted to welcome Graham Potter as the club’s new head coach.
“The 49-year-old joins the Hammers on a two-and-a-half year contract and will take charge of his new team for the first time when the Irons travel to Aston Villa in the FA Cup third round on Friday evening.
“A highly-respected and sought-after coach, Potter has been awaiting the right opportunity after leaving his last role at Chelsea in April 2023, and was the Board’s unanimous choice to take the club forward in line with its objectives and ambitions.”
Believed to be the man to lead West Ham to a brighter future after David Moyes’ tenure, Lopetegui was let go after just six months having only won seven of his 21 games in charge.
The club sit 14th in the Premier League, seven points above the relegation zone thanks to one win from their last five games.
