Tuesday night saw the surest sign yet that Julen Lopetegui is about to be sacked by West Ham | OneFootball

It’s long been thought that Julen Lopetegui was walking a tightrope at West Ham, and it now appears that the end is nigh for the Spaniard.

Ever since Julen Lopetegui took over at West Ham things have gone downhill at the Premier League outfit.

Despite a huge transfer outlay in the summer, the Spaniard appeared to initially stick with the Hammers tried and tested players.

Julen Lopetegui cancels team bonding meal with West Ham players

That, and what appears to be a haphazard approach to team formation has seen one summer signing already looking to leave West Ham.

West Ham legend, Tony Cottee, is one of many to call for Lopetegui to go, and it seems that the manager might finally be admitting that the game is up.

According to The Telegraph (subscription required), a team-bonding meal due for Tuesday evening was cancelled with Lopetegui waiting to understand his fate.

Graham Potter speaks to BT Sport pundits Joe Cole and Rio Ferdinand prior to the Premier League match between West Ham and Chelsea. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Multiple reports, including from The Telegraph, suggest that the East Londoners are courting Graham Potter.

The former Chelsea and Brighton manager has been a free agent since being sacked by the Blues back in April 2023, and has seemingly been waiting for the right opportunity to come along.

Were it to be confirmed that he was taking over at the London Stadium, he certainly has a big job on his hands to turn things around.

Awful record shows why West Ham could replace Julen Lopetegui

Although the football under David Moyes wasn’t particularly pleasing on the eye, the Irons did at least become European regulars.

If it was felt that Lopetegui could move them forward, that notion has been answered emphatically within 20 Premier League games.

The Spaniard has presided over just six wins, with nine games lost and the other five drawn. Only the English top flight’s bottom two clubs, Southampton and Leicester City, have a worse goal difference than the Hammers -15, so it’s no real surprise that the East Londoners might be looking elsewhere.