Graham Potter really didn’t get on with £27m player at West Ham, he thought he was arrogant

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Graham Potter’s eight-month tenure as manager of West Ham United recently ended, and now further details about his tenure are being revealed.

The Hammers parted ways with the former Chelsea boss last Saturday, immediately replacing him with Nuno Espirito Santo, the former Nottingham Forest boss.

Poor results and performances led to Potter’s downfall, as he ended up with the club’s worst win percentage in history.

Potter didn’t seem to inspire the squad during his time in charge, and tension behind the scenes appears to have been a factor in making that happen.

Graham Potter didn’t get along with Niclas Fullkrug

Potter struggled to get the best out of the West Ham squad during his time in charge, and it appears that a factor behind that could have been issues with chemistry and people not getting along.

During the latest installment of The Athletic FC podcast, Roshane Thomas and Benji Lanyado discussed the inner workings of Potter’s tenure, revealing that he didn’t get along with Niclas Fullkrug.

“Fullkrug, he wasn’t best pleased with Fullkrug in terms of his personality, the almost arrogance he possessed.

“And he wasn’t best pleased with his comments after the draw against Southampton. Words which I won’t repeat on this podcast. There’s a number of players that Graham Potter clashed with.”

Southampton scored a 93rd-minute equaliser during the game in question, where Fullkrug had been taken off earlier in the fixture.

Fullkrug had featured regularly under Potter despite their differences, with the former West Ham boss giving the striker plenty of minutes on the pitch.

Niclas Fullkrug has struggled to provide goals at West Ham

While Potter struggled at West Ham, Fullkrug himself hasn’t thrived since joining the Hammers.

West Ham spent £27million on Fullkrug in 2024 from Borussia Dortmund, but he has yet to repay the club that fee with his performances on the pitch.

Fullkrug has scored just three goals in 27 West Ham appearances across all competitions, producing only two assists during that time as well.

The 32-year-old has yet to open his account for the 2025-26 season, which West Ham will need him to do if he is to help them fight against relegation.