Bruno Génésio’s Lille are indeed among the continent’s big hitters, with their fifth-place finish in Ligue 1 last season earning them a spot in the 2025/26 UEFA Europa League, and their squad boasting the likes of Osame Sahraoui, Hákon Arnar Haraldsson and former Arsenal and Chelsea striker, Olivier Giroud.
Giroud is indeed one of five new signings made by Les Dogues this summer, while back at West Ham there have also been a number of additions made within the playing and coaching ranks.
Potter added: “On the playing side, El Hadji Malick Diouf, Kyle Walker-Peters and Callum Wilson have come in. They will each bring different qualities and strengths to the pitch, but the one thing they all have in common is their determination to put the collective team objective first and help us to create the right mentality among the group.
“On the coaching staff, Casper Ankergren has arrived as Lead First-Team Goalkeeper Coach, and will be assisted by Linus Kandolin. I have worked with both guys previously, at Brighton and Ostersunds respectively, and they are excellent coaches who will really help us.
“As a group, we’ve enjoyed being able to spend a lot of time developing a really good team spirit. The players and staff are really connected, and there’s a lot of togetherness in the group. We’re really happy with the environment, and really happy with the culture, and hopefully that will only continue to grow as we go forward.”