Graham Potter keen to sign Chelsea man after West Ham 'agree' deal following brutal sacking

Graham Potter is keen to reunite with former right-hand man and Chelsea performance analyst Kyle Macaulay when he is appointed as the new West Ham head coach. The 49-year-old is set to make his long-awaited return to management with the Hammers after the sacking of Julen Lopetegui.

Lopetegui took training on Wednesday morning ahead of Friday's FA Cup third round tie at Aston Villa before being informed that his seven-month tenure at the London Stadium was coming to an end.

In a club statement, West Ham said: "West Ham United can confirm that head coach Julen Lopetegui has today left the club. The first half of the 2024/25 season has not aligned with the club's ambitions and the club has therefore taken action in line with its objectives.

"The club can confirm that assistant head coach Pablo Sanz, head of performance Oscar Caro, head analyst Juan Vicente Peinado, fitness coach Borja De Alba and technical coach Edu Rubio have also left with immediate effect.

"The board would like to thank Julen and his staff for their hard work during their time with the club and wish them every success for the future. The process of appointing a replacement is underway. The club will be making no further comment at this time."

According to reports, Potter has agreed a deal with West Ham on a contract that is expected to extend past the end of the season as long as certain objectives are met. Potter is expected to take charge of the Hammers for their trip to Villa on Friday and he is hoping to bolster his backroom staff as soon as possible.

GiveMeSport have claimed that Potter is eager to bring Macaulay with him to east London, having worked together at Ostersunds, Swansea, Brighton and Chelsea. The duo were colleagues for over a decade, rising from the fourth-tier of Swedish football to the heights of the Champions League quarter-final.

Although Potter departed Chelsea in April 2023, Macaulay is still working at the Blues almost two years later and he could be an impressive recruit should West Ham sign him. Macaulay, 38, had a short stint in professional football in the 2008 before moving part-time and then into recruitment analysis.