West Ham bosses are already looking to save Nuno Espirito Santo in time for the start of play in January, with Brazil defender Alexandro a key target this winter.
Recent reports suggest that David Sullivan, Karen Brady and the board are ready to give Nuno their full support with the addition of new players mid-season, despite the Hammers’ disastrous start to 2025/2026.
Sky Sports reported last week that Nuno has confirmed funds to spend in January and that West Ham are actively targeting new defenders, midfielders and forwards.
Much has been said about the clear need for a new striker, with Real Madrid sensation Endrik rumored to be on West Ham’s January shortlist as the East Londoner considers a loan deal.
However, with long-term injuries to Konstantinos Mavropanos and Olly Scarles, West Ham are also desperately lacking in strength at the back.
West Ham’s Premier League results so far |
|---|
Sunderland 3-0 West Ham |
West Ham 1-5 Chelsea |
Nottingham Forest 0-3 West Ham |
West Ham 0-3 Tottenham |
West Ham 1-2 Crystal Palace |
Everton 1-1 West Ham |
Arsenal 2-0 West Ham |
West Ham 0-2 Brentford |
Leeds 2-1 West Ham |
Mavropanos sustained a hamstring injury against Brentford and is expected to be out for up to six weeks, while Skales will have to undergo collarbone surgery and could be missing until 2026 (former WHU employee).
If West Ham’s desire for a new star defender to strengthen their leaky backline wasn’t already there, it certainly is now.
West Ham have conceded more goals than any other team in the Premier League so far and it is clear that Nuno needs to resolve this issue as soon as possible.
With this in mind, Nuno is now turning his attention to Alexandro.
The 26-year-old is a mainstay at Lille and his impressive performances in France also attracted the attention of Premier League favorites Arsenal in the summer.
Before Mikel Arteta’s side ended up signing Pierro Hincapie and Cristian Mosquera as central defenders, reliable South American news outlet UOL reported that Arsenal had held initial talks to sign Alexandro, but nothing was ultimately finalized.
This is good news for West Ham as Nuno is thought to be very keen.
Alexandro makes important demands to join West Ham in January
According to Hammers News, the Irons manager is hoping to sign Alexandro in the first week of January after naming him as the club’s preferred defender signing this winter.
A source close to the transfer said there was a “good chance” that a deal could be struck, with initial talks already underway over the potential signing of the centre-back.
However, Alexandro appears to have offered important conditions to join West Ham.
The Ligue 1 star is thought to want “guarantees” that he will have a route out of the London Stadium if West Ham find themselves in the hopeless scenario of relegation, and is therefore thought to be looking for a safety net before making a decision.
“The team has to stop conceding goals like they have been and there seems to be only one way to fix that at the moment,” a transfer source told Hammers News.
“The Lille player (Alexandro) was on Nuno’s list when he arrived and he is the top target.
“Early negotiations have taken place on price and whether a deal can be reached and the signs are good. Ideally Nuno would like to have him in the building in the first week of January because every game will be very important.”
“But the player wants to go to the World Cup with Brazil, so he will need guarantees that he will be allowed to leave if the worst happens.”
Alexandro has been in excellent form across Lille, as evidenced by his reported interest from the Gunners earlier this year, but he has major disciplinary issues.
Last season, he received 13 warnings in all competitions and was suspended for three yellow cards in the French top flight alone.
Nuno will have to work to iron this out in Alexandro’s game if he moves to Rush Green early next year, but according to ESPN he could be available for as little as £26m.