The West Ham United hierarchy have responded on the future of Nuno Espirito Santo and the complicated expectations for next season in a major Hammers News exclusive.
The Hammers will be playing in the Championship next season after relegation from the Premier League.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side beat Leeds 3-0 but it proved too little, too late as Spurs beat a woeful Everton to secure safety.
It brings to an end a run of 14 unbroken years in the top flight for West Ham, who now face a summer of fire sales, huge transition and all possibly under a new manager before a gruelling 46-game season in the fiercely competitive second tier.
West Ham coy on Nuno’s future after relegation
But who will be leading the charge and what are the club’s realistic hopes and plans for next season?
Hammers News has exclusively discussed the situation with the most senior spokesman for West Ham’s owners.
Relegation confirmed – where do West Ham go from here?
The Hammers admit they are in the dark over whether Nuno wants to stay at the club.
And the owners have explained the challenging circumstances impacting their expectation to bounce straight back to the Premier League at the first time of asking.
Asked whether the club expect Nuno to stay or be hunting for a new manager for next season, the top spokesman for West Ham’s owners stated: “Who knows.”
When asked about the club’s aims for the 2026-27 campaign, the track record of co-owner David Sullivan was highlighted but so too were FFP restrictions.
West Ham’s owners recently told Hammers News there is a ‘massive hole under the FFP rules this summer’.
West Ham highlight Sullivan record but voice FFP concerns
And the club’s top brass reiterated that issue when discussing the plans for next season after relegation was confirmed.
“The last four times Mr Sullivan has been in the Championship he has won promotion.
“But under FFP rules it is going to be tougher, but Mr Sullivan expects West Ham to be promoted next season.”
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One look at every team West Ham will face in Championship as the 2026-27 fixture release date is confirmed brings home the reality of the club’s situation.
Three games every week all season long is no easy task.
West Ham will have the added safety net of the play-offs expanding from four to six teams.
However, nothing but automatic promotion should be acceptable for the Hammers next season.
They are by far and away the biggest club the Championship has seen since Aston Villa and Newcastle.
West Ham’s stadium dwarfs every other ground, being double the capacity of the next biggest stadium.
But big questions need to be answered quickly, starting with the manager’s position.
Then the club must overhaul the squad to ensure there is enough quality and depth to sustain a challenge for automatic promotion.
Captain Jarrod Bowen has intimated he wants to stay and help get West Ham back up.
If the Hammers can and do keep hold of him, it would be as close to a guarantee of promotion as you can get.
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