£30m West Ham star will be seriously worried after seeing who could replace Graham Potter

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West Ham United have parted ways with Graham Potter, and his potential replacement could have one squad member worried.

It has been a dreadful start to the 2025-26 campaign for the Hammers, who are currently 19th in the Premier League table after just one win.

Following weeks of speculation regarding his future, West Ham have dismissed Potter after just eight months in charge of the club.

Potter departs the London Stadium with a 24 win percentage, which is the worst in West Ham’s history, and now the focus has shifted to who will be in charge next.

While that speculation brings an element of excitement and a potential ‘new manager bounce,’ one West Ham player might be worried.

James Ward-Prowse will be concerned about Nuno Espirito Santo taking charge of West Ham United

Several names have been rumoured for the vacant West Ham job, but TBR Football revealed that Nuno Espirito Santo is the favourite to take the job.

Nuno departed Nottingham Forest at the start of the season, and former Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou replaced him.

Nuno enjoyed a successful spell at the City Ground, which included guiding Nottingham Forest to European football, and he was widely praised for his work with the club.

However, one man who might not be his biggest fan is James Ward-Prowse, as he had a very unsuccessful loan spell under Nuno’s leadership at Nottingham Forest.

The midfielder joined Nottingham Forest in August 2024, but by January 2025, the deal had been terminated, and Ward-Prowse had been sent back to West Ham.

The sensational set-piece taker struggled for game time when playing for Nuno; therefore, the possibility of him taking charge at West Ham will likely be worrisome for him.

James Ward-Prowse was a regular under Graham Potter

While he might not have featured much under Nuno, the England international had been a regular for Potter since he joined the club.

The 30-year-old has been a regular in the West Ham squad this season, but that could all change if Nuno takes charge, as he may deem him surplus to requirements once again.

Of course, the West Ham squad is very different to the team that Nuno had last season, so he could opt to play Ward-Prowse in the middle of the pitch.

So far this season, Ward-Prowse has started every match for West Ham; therefore, a change in the starting line-up will be very noticeable for fans.

On the other hand, Max Kilman may benefit from Nuno taking charge of the Hammers due to their success together at Wolves.