Graham Potter has come under significant pressure after his West Ham side have won just one of their first four Premier League contests.

An underwhelming 2024/25 term saw West Ham record a 14th placed finish, and while the club reluctantly permitted the sale of Mohammed Kudus to Tottenham for a fee in the region of €63.80m, Potter was substantially backed, with over £100m spent on incomings.

Despite the club’s attempts to bolster the manager’s resources, it’s been a familiar story for the East London club, conceding 14 goals in their opening five games in all competitions and being knocked out of the EFL Cup to Wolves in the process.

We’ve taken a look at the contenders who are potentially in line to succeed Graham Potter as West Ham manager.

Nuno Espirito Santo

A remarkable scene of events saw Nuno Espirito Santo sacked as Nottingham Forest manager on 9th September, despite leading the club to a European finish in the 2024/25 term.

The Portuguese manager has ample experience in England’s top flight and has previously proven his ability to refine clubs who may not have copious funding from owners, attributes that will no doubt be admired by West Ham higher-ups should they opt to part ways with Potter.

Edin Terzic

Leaving Borussia Dortmund by his own request in June 2024, Edin Terzic displayed his credentials when leading the Bundesliga outfit to the UEFA Champions League final in the 2023/24 term.

A dynamic manager who arranges his team dependent on the opposition and the players he has at his disposal, it could be a smart appointment for the Irons, though one that would come with a reasonable amount of risk.

Sean Dyche

When it comes to steadying the ship, there’s few better than former Burnley and Everton manager Sean Dyche.

Known for his direct style of play that more often that not sees his team set up in a 4-4-2 formation, Dyche established Burnley as a relatively consistent Premier League outfit when earning promotion for a second time in 2016.

That’s why it came as a surprise when the Clarets parted ways with the manager in the thick of a relegation battle in 2022, a decision that later came back to bite them when suffering relegation to the Championship just months later.

While the appointment of Dyche may not be viewed as the most compelling, he does have a knack for overachieving and would likely fancy his chances of getting a tune out of a West Ham team that has so far looked uninspiring.

Kieran McKenna

While Kieran McKenna made it clear where his priorities lied when reportedly playing down interest from Manchester United and Chelsea prior to the start of last term, Ipswich have since been relegated back to the Championship and a route back to England’s top flight is looking more difficult this time round.

The Tractor Boys left much to be desired in the 2024/25 campaign, though that’s more so a reflection on the growing gap between newly promoted sides and existing Premier League outfits and less so on McKenna’s ability.

It’s yet to be seen as to whether West Ham would test McKenna’s resolve, but it’s expected that he would be a name discussed should Potter’s time at the club be cut short.

Michael Carrick

Appearing on Amazon Prime for Tottenham’s UEFA Champions League clash with Villarreal, it appears that Michael Carrick is no closer to a return to the dugout after being sacked by Middlesbrough back in June.

It’s hard to imagine that the former Manchester United midfielder would pass up the opportunity of managing in the Premier League however, and he may be among what we expect to be a long list of candidates if Potter is sacked.