West Ham may be in line for a huge boost this summer, even if relegation from the Premier League is confirmed.
It was reported by The Telegraph earlier this week that the Hammers are keen to keep manager Nuno Espirito Santo in his post, even if the club suffers relegation to the Championship.
The Portuguese replaced Graham Potter in the dugout in September last year and despite a slow start, has started delivering much better performances and results since the turn of the year.
But with relegation still a real possibility with three games of the season remaining, question marks over his London Stadium future have understandably been raised.
West Ham want to keep Nuno
Despite failing to steer the club away from relegation trouble for much of the campaign, it’s claimed West Ham still very much believe they have the right man in charge.
The Portuguese arrived at the club under very difficult circumstances. The West Ham squad was mix of players recruited by three different managers over the course of a four transfer windows, and those players had been exposed to three different playing styles during that period.
Nuno has slowly instilled his own ideas onto the squad and, with just five defeats in their last 18 games in all competitions, things have been heading in a far more positive direction of late.
However, should West Ham still succumb to the drop, the club believe they already have the right man in place to orchestrate and immediate return to the top-flight.
In his first season in English football, Nuno romped to the Championship title with Wolves in 2018, before leading them to back-to-back 7th-placed Premier League finishes. Since then, a failed spell at Tottenham Hotspur aside, he has also kept taken Nottingham Forest to European football in a season they were one of the favourites for the drop.
So the former Porto and Valencia boss has previous in these situations and will know exactly what’s required to win promotion and then make sure the club is competitive again in the Premier League.
Nuno “unfazed” by Championship return
There were some fears, though, that the Portuguese would decide to leave the club should relegation be confirmed.
However, according to Football Insider, the West Ham manager has no plans to walk from his position at London Stadium either way and would be “unfazed” by the idea of managing in the Championship again.
Nuno’s West Ham contract runs until the summer of 2018 and given the issues the club has had with appointing managers since the departure of David Moyes in 2024, it’s understandable that they would rather stick with the man who has experience in these situations, rather than go back into the market and appoint an alternative.
If these reports are true, it could be a huge boost for West Ham during a period in which there are so many negatives. Regardless of what league the Hammers are competing in next season, it’s widely expected that there will be something of a player exodus in east London, due to the club’s recent accounts admitting player sales will be essential this summer.
The current West Ham squad are clearly playing for Nuno and enjoy playing under him, so him staying may convince some players to stay on the journey with him.
Even if that’s not the case, West Ham would be able to boast a Premier League manager in the Championship. With the right recruitment, which Nuno has already displayed earlier this year, the Hammers would have the best possible chance of returning to the Premier League at the first time of asking.
