West Ham SACK Julen Lopetegui after Man City & Liverpool thrashings with agreement in place for ex-Chelsea boss Graham Potter to take over relegation-threatened Hammers

West Ham have relieved Lopetegui of his duties following a pair of heavy Premier League defeats against Manchester City and Liverpool, in which they conceded nine goals while only scoring one in reply. The Hammers have had a disastrous start to the 2024-25 campaign despite spending nearly £130 million ($162.5m) on transfers in the summer. They have won just six matches out of 20 and find themselves seven points above the relegation zone.

According to The Guardian,West Ham have already found Lopetegui's replacement as they are all set to appoint former Brighton and Chelsea boss Graham Potter as their new head coach. Potter's last assignment at Chelsea lasted just seven months and he has not managed a club since leaving the Blues in April 2023.

A club statement read: "West Ham United can confirm that Head Coach Julen Lopetegui has today left the Club. The first half of the 2024/25 season has not aligned with the Club’s ambitions and the Club has therefore taken action in line with its objectives.

"The Board would like to thank Julen and his staff for their hard work during their time with the Hammers and wish them every success for the future. The process of appointing a replacement is underway. The Club will be making no further comment at this time."

Lopetegui, who arrived at the London Stadium with a big reputation having previously managed Spain and Real Madrid, won just seven of his 22 games in charge at West Ham, drawing five and losing the other 10. That makes for a win percentage of 31.82 - the second worst in his managerial career.

The Hammers, who have won just one out of their last five matches across all competitions, will next be seen in action on Friday as they take on Aston Villa in a third-round FA Cup clash at Villa Park, with Potter likely to be in the dugout for the first time.