Under the Scot, West Ham qualified for European competition for three consecutive seasons, winning the Europa Conference League in 2023 to secure the club’s first major trophy in 43 years.

Lopetegui, who had previously managed Wolves in the Premier League, said at the time of his appointment he had other opportunities but he was “very happy that West Ham chose me because I chose West Ham too”.

In their search for a replacement for Lopetegui, the club reportedly spoke to former AC Milan boss Paulo Fonseca and ex-Paris Saint-Germain manager Christophe Galtier.

But Potter is the hot favourite to replace Lopetegui, with the club understood to have held talks with the former Chelsea and Brighton manager about becoming their new manager, initially on a short-term deal.

Potter, 49, has been out of management since he was sacked by Chelsea in April 2023, just seven months into a five-year contract. He won a mere 12 of his 31 matches in charge.

The Englishman began his managerial career at Swedish club Ostersund and had successful spells with Swansea and Brighton before taking over at Stamford Bridge.

West Ham face Aston Villa in the FA Cup third round on Friday prior to Premier League matches against Fulham and Crystal Palace.

Lopetegui is the fifth Premier League manager to lose his job this season, following the sackings of Erik ten Hag (Manchester United), Steve Cooper (Leicester), Gary O’Neil (Wolves) and Russell Martin (Southampton).