What Graham Potter just said about West Ham after rejecting Wolves is a warning to Fosun

Julen Lopetegui’s second Premier League job didn’t bring him any luck, as the former Wolves manager was dismissed by West Ham United. 

West Ham announced their decision to fire Lopetegui after match week 20 of the Premier League season, with the Hammers sitting 14th in the table.

The East Londoners wasted no time in hiring the Spaniard’s replacement, welcoming Graham Potter to the London Stadium as the new manager.

Wolves were linked to Potter before Gary O’Neil was officially sacked but, opted to recruit Vitor Pereira from a list of candidates instead.

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Graham Potter sends warning message to Wolves owners Fosun

Being an experienced Premier League manager with Brighton and Chelsea on his CV, Potter was seen as a strong candidate for the Wolves job.

Unfortunately, the coach didn’t have the same vision, as Potter was never overly keen on joining Wolves at the time of interest.

Before O’Neil was sacked, Potter was one of five managers to turn Wolves down, with each candidate sharing a similar concern regarding the running of the club.

Fans were furious with Fosun after the failed attempt to recruit O’Neil’s successor, with Potter’s latest revelation sending a subtle message to Wolves’ hierarchy. 

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Upon signing for West Ham, Potter explained why he waited for the West Ham job, having been out of work since April 2023.

“It was important to me that I waited until a job came along that I felt was right for me, and equally that I was the right fit for the club I am joining,” Potter told West Ham’s official website. 

“My conversations with the Chairman and the Board have been very positive and constructive, we share the same values of hard work and high energy to create the solid foundations that can produce success, and we are on the same wavelength in terms of what is needed in the short-term and then how we want to move the club forward in the medium to long term.”

Potter clearly saw something at West Ham that he didn’t see from Wolves’ approach, with the vision from the club’s hierarchy far more appealing than what was on offer at Molineux.

The Englishman went on to praise the Hammers’ ‘strong foundations’, one of the several reasons that the coach failed to see the appeal of managing Wolves.

“The club have made a lot of good progress in recent years and ensured there are some very strong foundations in place to build on. You don’t win a European trophy by fluke – there has to be a good bedrock at a football club for that to happen, and the challenge now is to take that on and build the next steps, to develop a team and a club that the supporters can be proud of.”

Fosun fortunate to recruit Vitor Pereira

While Potter was an attractive candidate for obvious reasons, Wolves will have no regrets about their decision to hire Pereira.

Pereira made Wolves history with his strong start to life at Molineux, going unbeaten in his first three games before suffering defeat to Nottingham Forest. 

After O’Neil’s dismissal, the Old Gold can count themselves lucky to have earned Pereira’s trust, given how Fosun’s running of the club has come across to others in the footballing world. 

Wolves might have missed out on figures such as Potter but with the Portuguese now at the helm, everything must be done to ensure the 56-year-old is supported.