West Ham dismissed manager Graham Potter on Saturday, just five matches into the new Premier League season, and only two days before their upcoming game against Everton. Nuno Espirito Santo, who departed Nottingham Forest on September 9, has emerged as the leading candidate to succeed Potter, according to British media outlets such as Sky Sports and the BBC.
Potter was let go after West Ham dropped to second-to-last in the league table, having lost four of their opening five matches. The team has also been eliminated from the English League Cup. Appointed in January, Potter guided West Ham to a 14th-place finish last season.
In a statement, West Ham said that recent results and performances had fallen short of expectations, both in the latter half of last season and the early stages of the current campaign. The club’s board believes a managerial change is needed to improve their position in the Premier League. The search for a new head coach is already in progress. Potter’s coaching staff have also departed the club.
Potter’s time at West Ham was marked by instability. He joined after Julen Lopetegui, who had replaced long-time manager David Moyes, lasted only 22 matches. Before taking the West Ham job, Potter had been out of management for nearly two years after a short and disappointing spell at Chelsea. He had previously earned acclaim for his work at Ostersund, Swansea, and Brighton.
West Ham ended last season with only two wins in their final 11 league games and lost key forward Mohammed Kudus during the summer. Despite an active end to the transfer window, fan frustration persisted as the team suffered heavy defeats to Sunderland (3-0) and Chelsea (5-1) in August. A brief improvement came with a 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest, but losses to Tottenham and Crystal Palace sealed Potter’s fate.
Nuno could return to management quickly after a successful campaign with Nottingham Forest last season, in which he secured a seventh-place finish and a spot in European competition. However, he was dismissed after just three matches this season due to a breakdown in relations with club leadership, including a clash with owner Evangelos Marinakis and recently appointed global head of football Edu Gaspar. Nuno has previously managed Wolverhampton and Tottenham in the Premier League.