West Ham explore two new options as Graham Potter fear emerges
West Ham were eyeing up Edin Terzic and Michael Carrick to replace Julen Lopetegui amid fears a deal with Graham Potter would fall through, according to The Daily Mail.
Sami Mokbel reported in the newspaper’s print edition (8 January, page 66) that sources share there are concerns at The London Stadium that Potter will opt to take a role at Everton if the Toffees part ways with Sean Dyche before a deal with the Hammers is finalised.
With this concern in mind, the Irons are said to be making contingency plans with admiration for both former Borussia Dortmund boss Terzic and Middlesbrough manager Carrick, while Christopher Galtier and Paulo Fonseca remain on their radar after initial links [The Sun, 7 January].
Jacob Steinberg (8 January) claims that the current Hammers boss is set to be sacked on Wednesday morning with an agreement set to be in place with Potter although supporters will not want to get ahead of themselves until a formal announcement is made.
West Ham lining up Julen Lopetegui replacement
After negotiations over the length of a contract which put a deal in doubt at one point, it looks as though Potter could be on his way to East London which is an exciting replacement for Lopetegui at The London Stadium.
With the Toffees set to make a decision on Dyche, this could easily have scuppered the Irons’ plans as the takeover by The Friedkin Group in Merseyside could have proved to be a deciding factor for the former Chelsea boss who looks to take steps back into management so David Sullivan has been smart to act quickly on this.
Terzic would be reflective of the ambition in East London given the work he did at Borussia Dortmund and it would suggest that the owners see European football as essential for the progress of the club.
Meanwhile, Carrick is an exciting manager surely on his way up in football although this appointment could come with risk as he would be more of a project manager while supporters may want to see change sooner rather than later.
With that in mind, securing the services of Potter is probably the most complete choice from the Hammers hierarchy as someone that should be able to create both short and long-term positive change. Furthermore, with the 49-year-old currently out of work, it has certainly saved Sullivan any extra costs.
In other West Ham news, the Hammers must react now as Ipswich Town plan a “massive bid” for a new striker.
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