Graham Potter, newly appointed as West Ham United’s manager, has dismissed rumors about a potential move for Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford during the January transfer window.
Potter, who replaced Julen Lopetegui on Thursday, made his managerial debut in a 2-1 FA Cup third-round defeat against Aston Villa on Friday night.
When asked about the speculation surrounding Rashford, Potter remained noncommittal. “As I’ve said before, I only comment on players who are part of our squad,” said the 49-year-old.
Drawing from his experience at Chelsea, he added, “Transfer rumors are often misleading, and discussing them can create unnecessary complications. It’s better to focus on the players we have.”
Despite the loss, Potter found positives in his team’s performance. Lucas Paqueta gave West Ham an early lead at Villa Park, but Villa, celebrating their 150th anniversary, turned the game around with quick goals from Andre Onana and Morgan Rogers in the second half.
Reflecting on the match, Potter said, “The players showed a lot of commitment to implementing our strategies, especially in the first half.
While it’s disappointing to be out of the FA Cup, their resilience after falling behind was commendable. We created chances late in the game that could have brought us level.”
Potter’s debut didn’t end in victory, but his focus on building a cohesive team suggests promising times ahead for West Ham.