Potter, Potts
(credit:Imago)
Carla Devine
Wed 26 March 2025 15:30, UK
Graham Potter has had a rocky start to life at West Ham as the Irons struggle to find consistency in the Premier League.
The new boss was limited in the business he could do during the winter transfer window due to Julen Lopetegui having spent a fair amount last summer.
Nevertheless, Potter has managed to steady the ship, taking his side 17 points clear of the relegation zone, and he will now be looking forward to the end of the campaign.
Graham Potter West Ham
Graham Potter will be hoping for a successful summer transfer window (Credit: Imago).
West Ham provide Freddie Potts update
While Potter may have been focused on first-team issues, Freddie Potts has been a success story away from The London Stadium this season.
The 21-year-old has spent the season on loan in the Championship with Portsmouth, making the step up from his League One loan with Wycombe last season.
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Potts has made himself a regular part of John Mousinho’s side, and although he has had to miss out on game time recently due to injury issues, his loan manager has been full of praise.
Across the season, the midfielder has made 29 league appearances, scoring once and providing four assists.
Appearances Goals Assists
29 1 4
Freddie Potts for Portsmouth this season.
As a result of his strong form, West Ham announced on Tuesday (25 March) that Potts has signed a new long-term contract in East London.
The youngster has committed to a four-and-a-half-year deal, meaning he will be under contract with West Ham at least until the summer of 2029.
Mark Noble was full of excitement about the future of Potts as he said: “Graham [Potter] has come in and shown that if you’re good enough, you’re going to get opportunities, just like Ollie [Scarles] has.
“It’s going to be a massive pre-season for Fred. There’s going to be plenty of competition, as you’d expect in the Premier League, where you’re up against the best players in the world.
“But I truly believe he can play for us. We have such high hopes for him, and it was important to get this deal done to secure his future.”
West Ham United's London Stadium
Freddie Potts has committed his future to The London Stadium. (Credit: Imago)
Potter has simple decision to make
Potter may well be looking towards the summer transfer window with excitement as he can spend more money and bring some players in.
However, when you look at how much business needs to be done, the boss will have to have a priority list of what the key issues are.
Vladimir Coufal looks set to depart after he admitted his frustration with the Irons for blocking a move to Fulham in January.
Meanwhile, problems continue up top with Michail Antonio still recovering from injury as well as Niclas Fullkrug, while Evan Ferguson has struggled to get going in Claret and Blue.
With that in mind, the boss may need to look at what he already has, too and, as Noble points out, he has made Ollie Scarles a star of the side in the second half of the campaign.
Potter isn’t afraid to use the youth players, and he is known for his ability to work with young talent and produce first-team talent.
Therefore, he has to work closely with Potts during pre-season to get him up to scratch for the top flight and give himself a simple decision by the start of the season.
So far, Potts has worked his way up the leagues with ease and with the right management, there’s no reason he can’t do that again.
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