West Ham United have discussed the possibility of appointing a successor to Julen Lopetegui on an initial six-month contract until the end of the season.

That could appeal more to an English-based candidate such as Graham Potter than a foreign coach, who would have to agree to move temporarily to London.

West Ham held talks over the future of Lopetegui and potential succession plans at a board meeting on Thursday. The meeting decided Lopetegui will be in charge of the team for the crunch clash at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers on Monday and the game is likely to be the Spanish coach’s last chance. The board regard it as a “cup final” in terms of the manager’s future.

The six-month option appeals to West Ham with the appointment of a successor initially on a temporary basis until the end of the season. That would give West Ham the chance to review the position again in the summer.

It is understood they acknowledge that would cut down the number of candidates interested in the job and it may be that West Ham decide to target a long-term successor immediately.

Along with Potter, Edin Terzić, Roger Schmidt, Sérgio Conceição and Massimiliano Allegri have all been considered as potential successors. There is also believed to be interest in Brentford’s Thomas Frank, but his contract is thought to include a buy-out clause that could cost West Ham as much as £9 million.

Frank certainly would not leave Brentford to take a short-term deal at West Ham, while Terzic, Schmidt, Conceicao and Allegri may also be reluctant to, given none of them currently live or work in England.

Potter still lives in Brighton, which would make West Ham, even on a short-term deal, a relatively easy move for him.

The 49-year-old will also be acutely aware of how little contracts mean in management, given he was appointed by Chelsea on a five-year deal and was sacked after less than seven months in charge.

Potter has been out of work since leaving Chelsea in April 2023, but first revealed he is ready to return to management in an exclusive interview with Telegraph Sport in September.

In his first interview since being sacked by Chelsea, Potter said: “I’ve felt ready to return for a little while. It still has to be the right thing, but I’m excited for it. I’m excited to hear what the opportunities are and I’ll take each one and judge it on its merits.

“It wasn’t so long ago that Eddie Howe left Bournemouth after they had been relegated, he took 18 months out and now he’s at Newcastle doing brilliant things. If you look at Unai Emery, how he was received after leaving Arsenal and look at what he’s doing now.

“This is the job, the challenge of football. I see it [Chelsea] as an unbelievable experience that I’ve had. It didn’t go as well as I’d have liked. I have to take responsibility for that, but I think I’m better for it and I’ll be a better coach, for sure.”