West Ham sack Lopetegui and hold talks with Potter

West Ham have sacked manager Julen Lopetegui after just six months in charge and are in talks with Graham Potter about succeeding him.

Former Wolves boss Lopetegui, 58, was appointed in May following the departure of David Moyes but officially took charge on 1 July.

The Hammers won just six Premier League games during the Spaniard's tenure.

Saturday's 4-1 defeat by Manchester City was a ninth loss in 20 league games this season and left the club 14th - seven points above the relegation zone.

The club have held talks with former Chelsea and Brighton boss Potter about taking the role, initially on a short-term deal.

West Ham said in a statement: "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 club have also parted company with Lopetegui's backroom staff, including his assistant Pablo Sanz, head of performance Oscar Caro, head analyst Juan Vicente Peinado, fitness coach Borja De Alba and technical coach Edu Rubio.

"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 club's statement added.

"The process of appointing a replacement is under way."

Former AC Milan boss Paulo Fonseca and ex-Paris St-Germain manager Christophe Galtier, currently in charge of Saudi Pro-League club Al Duhail, have also been spoken to by West Ham.

However the belief from both camps is that Potter will get the job.

If that is the case, Potter will return to management for the first time since he was sacked by Chelsea in April 2023.

The 49-year-old was the Blues' first managerial appointment following Todd Boehly's takeover but he was dismissed after less than seven months in charge.

Chelsea paid more than £21m in compensation to Brighton, where Potter he had impressed after leading the Seagulls to Premier League finishes of 15th, 16th and ninth in his three-year spell.

Potter, who has also managed at Ostersunds FK and Swansea City, oversaw a record £323m outlay at Stamford Bridge in the 2023 January transfer window but success did not materialise and he was sacked following his side's 11th defeat in 31 games.

He was linked with the England job before Thomas Tuchel, his predecessor at Chelsea, was appointed as Gareth Southgate's successor.

In an interview with the Telegraph, Potter said club football was "more rewarding" than international management.

West Ham's next game is an FA Cup third-round tie at Aston Villa on Friday.

The Hammers' 5-2 thrashing by Arsenal on 30 November and defeat by fellow strugglers Leicester City three days later put Lopetegui under pressure.

They went unbeaten in their next four games, including wins over Wolves and Southampton, before a 5-0 home defeat by league leaders Liverpool and Saturday's loss at Manchester City.

It emerged earlier this week that the Hammers were considering sacking Lopetegui and had held talks with Potter about replacing him.

A news conference to preview Friday's FA Cup tie against Aston Villa was cancelled on Wednesday morning, before Lopetegui's dismissal was announced.

West Ham reached the Europa League quarter-finals and finished ninth in the Premier League during Moyes' final season at the club.

They had won the Europa Conference League - their first trophy in 23 years - the previous season.

Former Spain and Real Madrid boss Lopetegui spent in the region of £125m over the summer to enhance his squad, but had an underwhelming start to the season.

As well as indifferent league form, the Hammers were beaten 5-1 by Liverpool in the third round of the Carabao Cup.

Chris Collinson, BBC Sport statistician

Lopetegui has not been sacked because West Ham's defence became terrible under him, it is because he did not improve the terrible defence he inherited.

The Hammers had the worst defence outside of the promoted sides last season and that is also the case this campaign

What has changed is their finishing - despite taking more shots and having a slightly higher xG, they have scored fewer goals.

West Ham deserved to finish ninth last season because they got the results to finish there, but they were not the ninth-best team in the league based on their underlying numbers.