Graham Potter set to become West Ham caretaker manager as Julen Lopetegui's future hangs in the balance

Graham Potter is willing to take the West Ham job initially until the end of the season, talkSPORT understands.

Julen Lopetegui is likely to be sacked if they lose at home to Wolverhampton Wanders on Monday night and the Hammers are considering making a short-term appointment to steer them away from any relegation threat.

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As talkSPORT reported on Sunday, former Juventus boss Max Allegri also had conversations with the hierarchy of the London Stadium.

However, he is reluctant to accept a Premier League job mid-season and will not accept it until next summer.

Former Brighton manager Potter has been out of work since being sacked by Chelsea in April of last year.

He managed 31 Blues games, losing 11, leaving Chelsea in 11th place in the Premier League.

But now he is ready to return to the bench in search of the right opportunity.

Potter has also been He is tipped to replace Ange Postecoglou under pressure at Tottenham, and the Spurs boss lost 4-3 to Chelsea on Sunday following a 1-0 defeat at Bournemouth in midweek.

West Ham take on Wolves in a crucial clash at the London Stadium on Monday night. exclusively live on talkSPORT – with both bosses under pressure to get a result.

Gary O'Neil's team is second from the bottom, four points from safety.

The Hammers, meanwhile, are in 14th place, six points clear of the relegation zone.

West Ham have only won one of their last five Premier League games – a 2-0 win at Newcastle.

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Lopetegui received more pressure after his team's 3-1 defeat at Leicester last Tuesday.

The Spaniard has only been in charge since May, when he replaced David Moyes at the end of last season.

talkSPORT understands former boss Moyes is open to a third shock spell at West Ham in case his successor takes the blow.

The 61-year-old has managed 261 games in his two previous terms with the east London club.

Moyes, who won the Europa Conference League with the Hammers in 2023, agreed to leave at the end of last season.

He had come under increasing pressure after a poor run of results which saw him win just one match in 10 at the time of his departure announcement.

Moyes later revealed that he had been offered a new deal at the start of the campaign before owner David Sullivan rescinded it.