Ex-Chelsea boss Graham Potter linked with another Premier League return

Former Chelsea manager Graham Potter is reportedly a potential candidate to take over at West Ham United should they decide to sack Julen Lopetegui.

The Iron parted ways with David Moyes at the end of last season despite him delivering the club the Conference League in the 2022/23 campaign. In a bid to improve the style of football as well as their Premier League position, former Wolverhampton Wanderers and Sevilla manager Lopetegui joined the team.

However, his start has been difficult and Saturday's 3-0 defeat at the hands of Nottingham Forest has left West Ham 14th in the Premier League. According to the Daily Mail, owner David Sullivan may have little choice but to fire Lopetegui should the club be dragged into a relegation battle.

If this is the route Sullivan decides to go down, there is believed to be a couple of names who West Ham would consider to replace Lopetegui. Top of the list is believed to be former Borussia Dortmund manager Edin Terzic who inexplicably left the German giants at the end of last season despite leading them to the Champions League final.

Another potential candidate is thought to be Potter. The Englishman has been linked with Manchester United recently but was not considered by Sir Jim Ratcliffe when Erik ten Hag was sacked last week.

Instead, the Reds chose to appoint Ruben Amorim. Recently, Potter expressed his desire to return to the Premier League having enjoyed a period of reflection.

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"Yeah [I would like to return to management]… I think the time I've had [away from the game] has been great," he told The Telegraph. "I've had 12-13 years of non-stop football... Now, I've had time to reconnect with my family, reflect and think about what I want the next 12 years to look like."

Potter was in charge for just 31 games at Chelsea, averaging 1.42 points per match before being sacked. Frank Lampard replaced him as interim manager before Mauricio Pochettino took on the job permanently.