The future is very bright for West Ham if the board’s stunning transfer pledge to Nuno Espirito Santo is anything to go by – but there’s one big caveat.
West Ham have four games to save their Premier League lives but, crucially, survival is in their hands.
It may have taken him longer than the Hammers had hoped, but Nuno Espirito Santo has done a remarkable job turning around the sinking ship.
The Portuguese inherited a mess from the hapless Graham Potter but has led a revival since the turn of the year which has put West Ham within touching distance of safety.
Owners make pledge to Nuno over West Ham’s fantastic five
Now the club’s owners have made a stunning transfer pledge to Nuno – but only if he secures Premier League survival.
If West Ham do survive five players in particular will have played key roles.
If Nuno keeps us up, where does he sit among West Ham’s BEST managers?
Midfield ace Mateus Fernandes is on course to be Hammer of the Year in his debut season after a £40m move from Southampton.
The fact that sizeable fee now looks a bargain says everything about the Portuguese midfielder’s brilliant performances and influence on the team.
Crysencio Summerville was central to the uplift in West Ham’s results since January as he scored seven goals in 10 games.
He has not scored since his injury but the flying Dutchman has still been key, as he proved with his excellent display in the win over Everton.
Jarrod Bowen has been nowhere near his brilliant best this season but has still contributed 10 goals and 10 assists.
As captain and the team’s talisman, Bowen has still been fundamental to any hope the Hammers have of staying up.
West Ham vow to keep holy trinity as well as Disasi and Mavropanos
Two more stars who have been key to giving West Ham the chance to make it 15 years of unbroken top flight football are Axel Disasi and Konstantinos Mavropanos.
The duo have been rock solid since being put together as a partnership since Disasi arrived on loan from Chelsea on deadline day in the winter window.
What would you say has been the biggest TURNING POINT in our season?
Our fate is now in our own hands…
There has been speculation over the future of all of those players, as well as the likes of El Hadji Malick Diouf. That goes with the territory of top performances.
Now West Ham’s owners have dangled a huge carrot to Nuno by vowing to keep their fantastic five at the London Stadium next season.
Journalist Graeme Bailey claimed West Ham have no intention of allowing top talents Fernandes, Summerville and Bowen to leave this summer.
He says the Hammers board are ready to block all approaches for the trio provided West Ham secure their Premier League status.
That’s despite the club recording record £104m losses in their latest accounts.
But Hammers News can reveal the outlook is even better than that should Nuno keep the club up.
Because not only are West Ham pledging to keep Fernandes, Summerville and Bowen, they want to tie zero to hero Konstantinos Mavropanos down to a new contract AND sign Disasi again next season.
Mavropanos has been linked with Borussia Dortmund and AC Milan while Disasi has attracted suitors with his stellar form and attitude since moving to east London.
However, Hammers News understands David Sullivan and Daniel Kretinsky – who are both increasing their stakes to over 40 per cent each – have told Nuno privately they will do everything in their power to keep Mavropanos and Disasi as well as Bowen, Summerville and Fernandes if he keeps them up.
Sullivan and Kretinsky announced themselves as new joint-chairmen of West Ham along with Vanessa Gold this week.
The new West Ham ownership structure have gone on the charm offensive with a message to fans about their support being key to the club’s turnaround.
Now they have gone on the charm offensive with Nuno too it seems, giving him the ultimate incentive to keep the Irons in the Premier League.
The Hammers can take a giant step towards that by beating Brentford on Saturday and piling pressure on injury-hit Spurs, who are away at Aston Villa.
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