Ex-Swansea City and Chelsea boss Graham Potter in talks with West Ham to replace Julen Lopetegui

West Ham are reportedly considering ex-Swansea City boss Graham Potter as a potential successor for Julen Lopetegui, whose position has been thrown into further uncertainty following another significant loss to Manchester City over the weekend.

While no final decision has been made regarding Lopetegui's future, it is understood that fresh discussions between Potter's representatives and West Ham have taken place in the last 24 hours.

The former Chelsea manager has not accepted any role since his dismissal from Stamford Bridge 18 months ago, having declined several opportunities, including the Ajax job.

Lopetegui, the Spanish coach, only assumed control of West Ham in the summer, but despite an investment of over £100m, the team languishes in the lower half of the table. They are set to face Aston Villa away in the FA Cup on Friday night.

In his tenure, Lopetegui has overseen just 20 Premier League matches, with a mere six victories to his name, reports the Mirror.

This is despite the arrival of several high-profile players in the summer, including Max Kilman, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Niclas Fullkrug, as part of plans to overhaul the style following complaints about David Moyes' conservative approach.

Lopetegui was brought in as Moyes' replacement, but the team has struggled both offensively and defensively. He narrowly avoided dismissal in early December, with a victory at home against Wolves, his former club, granting him a reprieve.

However, the 5-1 defeat at City on Saturday followed closely on the heels of a 5-0 home loss to Liverpool, and the Hammers also conceded five at home to Arsenal before the year's end.

At present, only three Premier League teams have a poorer defensive record than West Ham.

In his final season, Moyes guided West Ham to a ninth-place finish, following on from securing their first ever European trophy in the UEFA Conference League the previous season.