West Ham have finalised the appointment of Graham Potter as their new head coach after sacking Julen Lopetegui on Wednesday.

Lopetegui was relieved of his duties after just six months in charge, having only taken 23 points from 20 games to leave West Ham 14th in the Premier League table.

The former Spain and Sevilla boss had failed to win over supporters after replacing David Moyes, with West Ham falling well short of a European challenge despite spending £120million on new players.

Widespread reports on Wednesday had suggested West Ham were hoping to appoint Potter as their new boss, with the Englishman rejecting reported interest from Everton.

His arrival at the London Stadium was confirmed on Thursday, as he penned a two-and-a-half-year contract with the 2022-23 Europa Conference League winners.

"I am delighted to be here," Potter said. "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 has been out of work since April 2023, having lost 11 of his 31 games in charge of Chelsea, where he succeeded Thomas Tuchel earlier in the 2022-23 season.

Potter, who only recorded a win rate of 38.7% at Stamford Bridge, was also linked with the Wolves job before Vitor Pereira replaced Gary O'Neil, while reports earlier this week suggested Everton's new owners were keen to bring him to Merseyside. 

He built his reputation in Sweden with Ostersunds before taking over Swansea City in the Championship.

Potter then managed Brighton for three years, guiding them to a ninth-place finish during the 2021-22 Premier League season. 

His first game in charge will be Friday's FA Cup third-round tie at Aston Villa before Fulham visit the London Stadium in the Premier League next Tuesday.

Potter's primary task will be to bring a more proactive style of football to the London Stadium, where West Ham struggled to connect with supporters under Lopetegui.

Lopetegui's West Ham only scored 24 league goals, giving them the 14th-best attack in the top flight, while they underperformed their figure of 29.1 expected goals (xG) – that -5.1 underperformance is the league's fourth-worst this season.

West Ham's last home game under Lopetegui was a 5-0 defeat to Liverpool to end 2024, their sixth Premier League defeat by a margin of three or more goals in 2024-25, more than any other side.