West Ham are expected to announce the appointment of Graham Potter as their new manager on Thursday.

The former Brighton and Chelsea boss is set to replace Julen Lopetegui, who was sacked less than eight months after taking charge.

The Hammers cancelled Wednesday’s preview press conference for their FA Cup tie with Aston Villa before announcing the Spaniard’s departure.

And they have rescheduled the press conference for 9am on Thursday, when Potter could be unveiled.

The 49-year-old is poised to return to management 20 months since he was sacked by Chelsea just seven months and 31 matches into a five-year contract.

He is set to arrive at a club sitting 14th in the Premier League and facing a tough FA Cup third-round trip to Aston Villa on Friday.

Lopetegui was appointed in May to replace David Moyes, who left the club at the end of last season after his contract expired.

He was tasked with bringing a more attacking style of play to the London Stadium after some fans grew frustrated with Moyes’ pragmatic approach, even though the Scot led the club to a first trophy in 43 years when they won the Europa Conference League in 2023.

But despite a £130million spending spree in the summer, bringing in nine players including Germany striker Niclas Fullkrug and Wolves captain Max Kilman, results have been poor.

Lopetegui’s position was under threat in early December following a 3-1 defeat at Leicester, but a run of four matches unbeaten earned him a stay of execution.

However, the manner of the 5-0 home defeat by Liverpool after Christmas, followed by a 4-1 loss at Manchester City on Saturday, set alarm bells ringing again among the West Ham hierarchy.