West Ham reportedly have a willing manager lined up to replace Julen Lopetegui if his side are beaten by Wolves tonight (Monday).
Lopetegui was appointed in May with plenty of time to prepare for this season, and senior figures at the London Stadium backed him with a raft of expensive signings during the summer. But the Hammers are 14th in the Premier League table and at risk of being dragged into a relegation scrap.
Defeat against Lopetegui's former club, Wolves, is likely to spell the end for the Spanish head coach. The West Midlands outfit are in relegation trouble of their own, with under-pressure boss Gary O'Neil overseeing just two wins from 14 league games so far this term.
West Ham have reportedly been putting contingency plans in place behind the scenes in case the board, who are currently divided, decide to pull the trigger. Graham Potter is one of the managers on their shortlist, and according to talkSPORT, he would be willing to take the job on an interim basis.
Potter has been out of work since a seven-month spell at Chelsea was cut short in April last year. Prior to that he enjoyed spells with Ostersund, Swansea City and Brighton.
Having endured a disastrous time at Stamford Bridge, Potter has been reluctant to rush into another job. But he is now believed to be on the lookout for his next opportunity, and taking the Hammers job, initially until the end of the season, appeals to the 49-year-old.
Reflecting on his dismissal by the Blues during a recent appearance on Sky Sports, Potter said: "Of course, it was disappointing. It's never nice when you lose your job in any walk of life. In the end you have to treat it as an opportunity to grow and improve.
"I'm grateful for the experience I had. It was a tough experience but there were some highlights as well. It's about putting it into perspective - not trying to blame yourself completely but not trying to blame anybody else either, and coming back stronger.
"I've spent some time with my family and it's been nice to spend some time with them and connect with them. We'll see what the future brings."
West Ham bosses are also said to have spoken with former Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri about the head coach position, but the Italian would reportedly prefer to take over in the summer. Ex-Porto boss Sergio Conceicao and former Borussia Dortmund manager Edin Terzic are also in the frame.