Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrack has been pushed internally at West Ham to take over from Julen Lopetegui, according to The Times.
The Iron’s presumed move for Potter, as reported by Football Insider, has reportedly hit a late snag as neither party has been able to come to an agreement on contract length, with Potter is thought to be unwilling to take the short-term deal that has been offered in an apparent change of stance on his part.
Potter has been out of work since being sacked by Chelsea in 2023, however, he has been linked with both Everton and West Ham recently.
Carrick is thought to be a favoured internally as an alternativeto take over from Spanish manager, Lopetegui, who the Irons have reportedly decided to part ways with [talkSPORT].
Carrick has impressed over the duration of his time in charge of Middlesbrough and has recently emerged as a leading candidate for the job.
Michael Carrick will have to make West Ham a winning-side quickly
Potter has been linked with moves to both West Ham and Everton recently as both clubs look to move on from their current managers, resulting in a head-to-head between them to appoint the English manager.
Neither side have been content with the results, or style of football that their managers have been playing in recent weeks, and Potter is seen as an upgrade due to the performances of Brighton whilst he was in charge.
Much has been made of the decision to replace former boss David Moyes with Lopetegui in May 2024 and the experiment seems to have failed.
The former Wolves boss has reportedly fallen out with players [Daily Mail] and failed to deliver results on the pitch with the Irons currently sat 14th in the table.
Carrick would arrive with goodwill from his time in East London, having won the FA Youth Cup in 1999 and spending five years in the senior side (with two seasons on loan), before departing for rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
However, the former England international is currently having his own problems with his current side Middlesbrough having won only six out of their 14 home games this season [the Northern Echo].
If he does get the job, there will be no settling in period for Carrick, and he will be expected to produce results straight away.
Potter likely remains the favourite to come in at the London Stadium but there appears to be a swell of support for the former midfielder if that fails.
