Former Chelsea boss 'offered' Premier League job amid West Ham links as different appointment 'close'

Former Chelsea manager Graham Potter reportedly snubbed an offer from Wolves last month, who are now looking for a new manager after they sacked Gary O’Neil.

O’Neil was dismissed after Wolves lost 2-1 to Ipswich Town over the weekend, handing them their fourth defeat in a row. They currently sit 19th in the Premier League table, five points from safety. The club’s chairman Jeff Shi said in a statement on the club’s website: “We’re very grateful to Gary for all of his effort, dedication and hard work during his time at the club, and we wish him and his team the best of luck for the future”.

Wolves sacked O’Neil after the game and are now on the hunt to find a replacement for the 41-year-old. Potter was reportedly approached last month by the club, but he rebuffed their interest in him according to the Guardian. The report adds that Wolves are ‘close’ to appointing Vítor Pereira.

Potter has been without work since he left Chelsea in April 2023 after a poor spell at Stamford Bridge. He had previously had success with Brighton, who are now shining under Fabian Hurzeler. He was also linked to the Leicester City job after Steve Cooper was sacked, but the Foxes opted to sign former Manchester United interim manager Ruud Van Nistelrooy instead.

The former Chelsea boss however decided against the Wolves job, despite the opportunity it presented for a route back to management in the Premier League. His rumoured rejection of the job could be due to the precarious position of Julen Lopetegui at West Ham, amid reports linking Potter to the job at the London Stadium.

Lopetegui remains under pressure at West Ham following a poor start to the season. His side come off a 2-1 win against O’Neil’s Wolves which many believe, kept Lopetegui his job.

Wolves consider former West Ham manager

Potter wasn’t the only manager that was in consideration last month for the job at Molineux, with David Moyes also a reported candidate.

The former West Ham boss has been out of work since the end of last season, when he left the Hammers after spending six years at the club. Moyes has silverware on his experienced resume, having won the Europa Conference League with the Hammers the season prior to his dismissal. He was also linked with the Crystal Palace job earlier in the season.