West Ham United could be thwarted in their attempts to appoint Graham Potter as boss in east London, according to a report - with German outfit RB Leipzig reportedly earmarking the English boss for a potential vacancy in the Bundesliga.
The Hammers have struggled under Julen Lopetegui this season, with the newly-appointed boss having lost eight of his 16 games in charge. It's seen him teeter on the brink of the sack, with the Irons' top brass looking at replacements - but with Potter being linked, he could be on his way to pastures new instead.
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The report from Alan Nixon states that Potter is now in line for a shock call from Leipzig after the German club’s run of poor form in the Bundesliga and Champions League.
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The franchise, who were only formed in 2009, were unbeaten until the end of October in the German top-flight but then suffered a run of four games without a win - including a 5-1 home battering at the hands of Wolfsburg, a 4-3 loss away to Hoffenheim and 2-1 loss at Borussia Dortmund after surrendering a 1-0 lead to the Champions League finalists.
However, it is their form in the Champions League which has boss Marco Rose looking desperately over his shoulder. The club remain one of just three teams to have lost all five of their games in the league phase of the tournament, suffering defeats to Atletico Madrid, Juventus, Liverpool, Celtic and Inter Milan - and with tricky ties coming up against Aston Villa and Sporting Lisbon on home soil, Rose knows he must do better.
With that in mind, Potter could be in for a shock appointment in eastern Germany. He is available for free, having left Chelsea almost two years ago, and Leipzig may come in for him soon, with Potter having ‘always had an eye’ on foreign roles - even with the ex-Brighton boss reportedly turning Ajax down at the end of last season.
Potter has been heavily linked with West Ham and reports last week suggested that he was set to be appointed in the role before the end of the week; however, Lopetegui has been given one last game to save his job at the London Stadium in Monday’s game against Wolverhampton Wanderers - yet if he fails to win, it could be curtains for the Spaniard which would allow Potter to come into the club.
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Statistics courtesy of WhoScored. Correct as of 09-12-24.