Nuno Espirito Santo has made an astonishing pledge that further West Ham signings and departures are on the way in the January transfer window.
The comments suggest decisive movement is planned in both directions, at a time when pressure is mounting on West Ham and the head coach to secure Premier League survival.
The Hammers board have left fans frustrated and shocked with the club’s start to the January transfer window.
West Ham have been pleading poverty all year and, as has been proven so far this season, did not invest well enough in the summer.
The club’s hierarchy are also renowned for leaving any business until late in transfer windows.
West Ham suddenly find money to spend amid relegation threat
Yet the threat of relegation has seen West Ham spend £47m in the opening three days on two new strikers.
South American duo Pablo and Valentin ‘Taty’ Castellanos have arrived in £20m and £27m moves from Gil Vicente and Lazio respectively.
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And who needs to step up?
The panic button has been well and truly activated by the Hammers.
And they are not done there it seems.
Links persist to a host of players in all manner of positions while there is a clear and obvious need for defensive reinforcements given the Irons are conceding, on average, over two goals per game.
Forget Argentine Taty and Brazilian Pablo, West Ham could have prime Maradona and Pele and struggle to stay up when shipping goals at that rate.
The window comes against the backdrop of speculation over Nuno Espirito Santo’s future after West Ham went nine games without a win in the Premier League with the diabolical 3-0 defeat at Wolves.
Since the loss, which has been labelled the worst since a 6-0 drubbing at Reading in January 2007, claims have also emerged that West Ham’s players dislike Nuno and his methods.
West Ham’s board have taken a strong stance on claims of unrest in the camp over Nuno in a response to a journalist’s revelations ahead of a must-win game against Nottingham Forest.
Nuno pledges more West Ham signings and departures
Lose that and West Ham may be all but down, needing to win every other game of the 17 that will remain in order to get to the 40-point mark.
As a result, many see West Ham’s sudden spending as a major gamble. Especially with record £100m plus losses coming in the club’s accounts, which are due imminently.
What do you want to see Nuno do differently against Nottingham Forest? 🤔
And is this a make or break game for the Hammers?
But West Ham are showing no sign of letting up on the transfer front, it seems.
Because Nuno has made an astonishing pledge about more West Ham signings and departures.
Hammers fans wondering where the money has suddenly come from for the Pablo and Castellanos signings will be scratching their heads even more.
According to Nuno, more arrivals will be coming to West Ham in the window – because he is shipping certain players out.
Speaking in his pre-Forest press conference, Nuno made the vow, insisting there is still work to do to rebalance the squad in order to keep West Ham in the Premier League.
“We still need more players,” Nuno said in his presser.
“We need to rebalance some positions.
“We have players going out.
“I think all of us (at the club) and the players realise that they need help.”
Who could come and go at West Ham after Nuno’s transfer vow?
Luis Guilherme and Niclas Fullkrug – signed for £47m by former technical director Tim Steidten – have left the club.
Guilherme has joined Sporting in a £15m deal with a sell-on clause for the Hammers.
Fullkrug is on loan at Milan, who have a £4m option to buy the injury-prone flop in the summer, when he will have a year left on his West Ham contract.
There have been new claims that Callum Wilson wants to leave the club following the arrivals of Castellanos and Pablo.
Nuno admitted that could happen after ‘honest conversations’ with the striker.
But it seems other players will also be departing – with the likes of Guido Rodriguez being linked away.
In terms of signings, West Ham have been linked with a move for Al Nassr and Brazil goalkeeper Bento Matheus as well as Adama Traore, Charlie Cresswell and a host of other players in a number of positions.
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