Nuno Espirito Santo will be keen on signing new players in the January transfer window as West Ham United are battling relegation from the Premier League.
While West Ham beat Burnley 3-2 before the international break, they still find themselves in 18th place with 10 points from 11 games.
The Hammers have conceded 23 goals in the Premier League, which is the second-worst record this term.
Nuno would want to shore up his backline and potentially dip into the market to address what is an important issue.
Under his stewardship, the Irons have yet to keep a clean sheet, with Max Kilman and Jean-Clair Todibo struggling for consistency.
West Ham United could play a back three with Charlie Cresswell
West Ham have opened talks to sign Charlie Cresswell, as signing a centre-back is understood to be the priority in January.
The former Leeds United defender is now plying his trade at French club Toulouse. He moved to the Ligue 1 side in 2024 and has been a mainstay for them since then.
The London Stadium outfit have had the 23-year-old on their radar for a while. West Ham even tried to bring Cresswell to the capital on transfer deadline day.
However, despite their best efforts to land the former England Under-21s international, they failed to complete a deal.
Now, with the January transfer window a few weeks away, it seems they could make another effort to sign the Preston-born defender.
Should the Hammers sign Cresswell, Nuno will have a decision to make about his current centre-backs.
Todibo has played six league games this season, while Kilman has featured in every top-flight match in 2025/26 for West Ham United.
Cresswell has played in the heart of a back three this season for Toulouse.
Nuno has deployed a back three system at previous clubs, most notably Wolves, so signing the Englishman may tempt him to tweak their formation if he wants more solidity in defence.
He has achieved success playing a 3-4-3 and with the players he has at his disposal, moving to that system is certainly an option for them, especially if Cresswell joins in January.
Cresswell has impressed in Ligue 1
Cresswell’s arrival would boost the Hammers’ chances of avoiding the drop, given his defensive abilities.
He averages 3.61 aerial duels won per 90 minutes, putting him in the 95th percentile, and is in the 90th percentile for all centre-backs in Europe’s top five leagues for blocks per 90 minutes, per fbref.
Apart from his defensive contributions, the former Premier League defender also poses a goal-scoring threat, having scored three times in 12 league games this season.
Given the Hammers’ reliance on set pieces, he could be a potential difference maker and single-handedly win points for the London club.
It remains to be seen if they succeed in signing the 23-year-old, but it’s evident that new faces are needed at the London Stadium.
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