Nuno Espirito Santo will not only be in charge of matters on the pitch these days. West Ham United’s 12th permanent manager since Harry Redknapp departed will have quite a big say on the transfer front, too.
Hammers News can confirm that, while head of recruitment and long-time Graham Potter ally Kyle Macaulay is expected to make way, Nuno and agent Jorge Mendes will have the power to dictate the club’s recruitment going forward.
Considering the circumstances surrounding his departure from Nottingham Forest – a bitter fall-out was sparked by disagreements with global head of football Edu Gaspar and owner Evangelos Marinakos when it came to signings and sales – it should come as no surprise that Nuno Espirito Santo is keen to build a West Ham United side in his image.
Crucially, without much interference from other departments.
Hammers News have also been told that Nuno and West Ham have already discussed the upcoming January transfer window, and their plans for it.
The flying start made by El Hadji Malick Diouf is proof that value remains in the market. For those willing to dig a little deeper and cast their net a little wider, anyway.
And, while hailing Diouf’s impact, former Upton Park boss Harry Redknapp hopes to see a new centre-forward arrive to get on the end of the left-back’s fizzing crosses.
Harry Redknapp wants a striker to join Malick Diouf at West Ham United
Redknapp defended the controversial signing of Callum Wilson at the start of August, following the 33-year-old’s arrival on a free transfer.
While Wilson, Kyle Walker-Peters, Soungoutou Magassa and particularly Mateus Fernandes have had their moments, Diouf has been the standout amongst the summer’s new faces. Perhaps not only at West Ham, but the whole of the Premier League.
Redknapp, though, feels that partial off-season overhaul leaves a job only half-done. A striker is a must.
Competition for Max Kilman and Konstantinos Mavropanos at centre-half would be welcomed too. Especially after Nuno dropped Jean-Clair Todibo from his squad for Monday’s 1-1 draw at Everton.
“The new left-back [Diouf] looks a good lad,” Redknapp tells Give Me Sport. “And they have Jarrod Bowen, who is outstanding.
“But they need a striker and look weak at the back. It’s about recruitment.”
Parma’s 6ft 4ins colossus Mateo Pellegrini has been mentioned in the media this week, via Tuttosport.
According to Football Transfers, Arsenal’s Gabriel Jesus is open to joining the Hammers – presumably on loan – in order to boost his hopes of featuring at the 2026 World Cup. Another Brazil international in the shape of Cruzeiro’s Kaio Jorge has played down those West Ham links of his own, however.
“I really want to stay at Cruzeiro,” Kaio Jorge, formerly of Juventus and scorer of 20 goals in 32 games this season, told Caze TV last week. “Everyone knows that, that I’m very happy here.
“Right now, I’m not thinking about going abroad, despite the speculation. An offer should come in soon, but I hope to stay here for a long time.”
Nuno must choose between Niclas Fullkrug and Callum Wilson
Nuno re-introduced Niclas Fullkrug in Callum Wilson’s place at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
The big German underwhelmed again, however. His wait for a first Premier League goal of 2025/26 rumbles on.
There is still hope, though, that Fullkrug could emulate Chris Wood’s success under the new boss at Nottingham Forest. The latter, like the former, is a strapping, old-school number nine in his early-30s.
If Nuno can get Fullkrug anywhere close to matching Wood’s tally of 20 top-flight goals from last term, then the relegation zone would surely be a dot on the very distant horizon.
“Obviously, ‘Fulle’ is a different profile to me,” Wilson told the Ironcast podcast last month, highlighting the different centre-forward options Nuno inherits.
“I can come to feet but also run in behind.
“I’m not just sitting there watching the game pass me by [when starting on the bench]. I am analysing the defence, analysing the striker who is playing in my position, what he’s doing and what is working, and offering something different.
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