West Ham United have unveiled Graham Potter as their new manager following the departure of Julen Lopetegui.

Lopetegui was relieved of his duties on Wednesday, just six months after joining the club as a replacement for David Moyes, having overseen just seven wins in 22 games across all competitions.

The decision to part with Lopetegui was formally confirmed after an agreement had been struck with Potter, whose arrival at West Ham has now been made official.

“I am delighted to be here,” Potter said upon signing a two-and-a-half year contract. “It was important to me that I waited until a job came along that I felt was right for me, and equally that I was the right fit for the Club I am joining. That is the feeling I have with West Ham United.

“My conversations with the Chairman and the Board have been very positive and constructive, we share the same values of hard work and high energy to create the solid foundations that can produce success, and we are on the same wavelength in terms of what is needed in the short-term and then how we want to move the Club forward in the medium to long term.

“West Ham United is a huge Club, at the heart of London, with a tremendous fanbase and great support all around the world. I saw the scenes that followed their Europa Conference League victory in 2023 and it was clear that this is a Club with everything in place to become consistently successful, both on and off the pitch.

“The Club have made a lot of good progress in recent years and ensured there are some very strong foundations in place to build on. You don’t win a European trophy by fluke – there has to be a good bedrock at a football club for that to happen, and the challenge now is to take that on and build the next steps, to develop a team and a Club that the supporters can be proud of.”

Potter, who returns to management for the first time since his departure from Chelsea in April 2023, will take charge of his first game on Friday when West Ham travel to Aston Villa in the FA Cup third round.

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