West Ham head coach Julen Lopetegui is under huge pressure heading into this weekend’s game against Everton.

The heavy defeat to Nottingham Forest last Saturday has raised more question marks about the Spaniard’s future.

With the last international break of the year coming up after the Everton fixture, it would be a good opportunity to change manager ahead of a busy festive period.

Gambling.com have put together a list of the top five frontrunners to replace Lopetegui and there are some surprising names included.

An ex-Manchester United coach is among the favourites

Erik ten Hag currently has the 4th shortest odds (9/4)  to take the West Ham hot seat. It would be somewhat ironic if the Dutchman was hired considering that he was sacked by the Red Devils after his side’s defeat at the London Stadium last month.

Ex-England manager Gareth Southgate is third in the running (2/1) although the fact that the 54-year-old has vowed to take a 12-month sabbatical from coaching makes that appointment pretty unlikely, unless he has a change of heart.

Former Borussia Dortmund head coach Edin Terzic has been widely backed (7/4). The German is currently out of work and he said to be keen on a job in the Premier League. It could also help his cause that he has worked for the Hammers before as Slaven Bilic’s assistant.

The frontrunner to become West Ham’s next manager

At the moment, though, Graham Potter (6/4) is regarded as the bookies’ favourite. The 49-year-old is keen to get back into management, having not worked since he was sacked by Chelsea in April 2023.

Potter should be refreshed after spending so long on the sidelines but there will be questions about his suitability. Although he did have a very successful spell in charge of Brighton, he lasted less than a year at Stamford Bridge.

Find out who is in West Ham’s first-team squad for the 2024/2025 season here