West Ham have four options to replace Julen Lopetegui after dismal Leicester loss

is skating on thin ice at after overseeing a dismal start to his time in charge at the London Stadium.The 58-year-old has struggled to get a tune out of his players with the Hammers on a five-game winless run. They slipped to their latest defeat on Tuesday night as they were beaten by Leicester City, scoring just once despite having 31 shots on goal.Their poor performances and sub-par results have ramped up the pressure on Lopetegui, who could be facing the sack after only a few months in charge.Express Sport takes a look at four managers who could replace the Spaniard if West Ham decide to make a change…

Graham Potter

The former boss would perhaps be the outstanding candidate to succeed Lopetegui, given the success he had with Brighton during his time at the Amex Stadium.He has been out of work since leaving two years ago, instead choosing to bide his time and wait for the right opportunity to present itself.Potter was on punditry duties for West Ham’s game against Leicester and hinted that he would be open to managing them if they came calling.Quizzed on what his next job might be, : “As I’ve said before, you are open to everything. At the same time, I am really enjoying this as well because it gives you another perspective.”

Michael Carrick

Carrick knows West Ham better than most people, having graduated from their academy as a player before making over a century of appearances for the club.He has shown promise during his time in charge of Middlesbrough, learning his trade at under the likes of Jose Mourinho and .However, the West Ham board are not known for appointing up-and-coming managers which could see them look elsewhere in their search for a new boss.They also tend to go for unemployed candidates, rather than buying managers out of their existing contracts, which could prove an issue unless they decide to change their stance.

Edin Terzic

Edin Terzic is currently unemployed, having left Borussia Dortmund somewhat surprisingly after taking them to the Champions League final last season.He would fit the mould that West Ham tend to go for, while his previous experience at the London Stadium could also boost his chances.The 42-year-old served as an assistant coach under Slaven Bilic and is already said to be under consideration for the top job.He was sounded out by the Hammers last month, according to , which indicates that he would be high on their list of candidates to replace Lopetegui.

Maurizio Sarri

Another high-profile manager who is currently out of work, the Italian could be in the frame to take charge of the Hammers if Lopetegui is relieved of his duties.He boasts trophy-winning experience from spells at and Juventus and has over 1,000 games under his belt, making him a solid choice to steady the ship.The 65-year-old recently admitted that he felt it was a mistake to leave , which suggests he might not be averse to returning to England.However, with smoking bans in place across all stadiums, he would need to revert to chewing cigarette butts on the touchline.