West Ham bosses are keeping an eye on the January transfer window, with manager Nuno Espirito Santo reportedly secretly begging for a new contract.
Nuno Espirito Santo set to join West Ham in January
It has been a disastrous start to the season for West Ham, who are certain to be candidates for this year’s relegation battle.
The East London side have conceded more goals than any other team in the Premier League so far, and Vitor Pereira’s side are yet to win a game, meaning Wolves would be bottom of the table if they were any worse.
Nuno is also waiting for his first win as West Ham manager since replacing Graham Potter late last month, but judging by his enthusiastic performance at home to Brentford, he may have to wait a little longer.
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 |
The Bees ran riot at the London Stadium, attempting 17 shots on goal, but a 2-0 defeat delighted a West Ham team who seemed to have no answers.
Nuno’s much-changed line-up against Keith Andrews’ side raised many eyebrows as the Portuguese experimented to find the best team, but it won’t be all that easy for West Ham, who face newly-promoted Leeds United at Elland Road on Friday.
There are concerns about whether West Ham really have the quality and depth of their squad to compete in the world’s most attractive division, with chairman David Sullivan and the board reportedly planning to spend small amounts over the winter.
According to Sky Sports this week, West Ham are looking to sign new defenders, midfielders and forwards when the winter period opens, and manager Nuno has received “confirmation” that funds are available to strengthen his squad.
Other reports suggest that Nuno has urged West Ham leaders to make much-needed reinforcements in January, a view backed by GiveMeSport, which shared its own update on Sullivan’s recruitment plans.
West Ham hold internal negotiations over contract with Chelsea midfielder Andrei Santos
According to GMS, Nuno told Sullivan and vice chair Karen Brady to attack the market once it reopens after the new year.
The tactician would personally like to see a new addition to the backline, an engineer in the engine room, and an attacker who can be even more creative in the future.
In terms of midfield, West Ham have set their sights on a very interesting option, Chelsea star Andrei Santos, and are holding internal negotiations over a possible transfer.
The Brazil international, who scored 11 goals and provided five assists on loan at Strasbourg last season, has featured in almost every game for Chelsea so far, and Maresca has shown real confidence in Santos as a key component of the midfield.
Santos can play anywhere in the middle, whether moving further forward as a CAM or in a deep anchor role, so his appeal for West Ham is very clear, especially considering the 21-year-old’s excellent form over the past 12 months.
Nuno apparently wants a box-to-box style midfielder who can add pace in the middle of the park, something West Ham are sorely lacking at the moment, even if highly-rated youngster Freddie Potts is ready and keen to be selected.
That said, Maresca appears to be a big fan of Santos, and it remains to be seen whether the Italian will allow a player he has used frequently to leave midway through the season.
“First of all, I’m very happy with Andrei and the idea that he will remain here with us,” Maresca said in the summer.
“He can definitely play in the position of Enzo Fernandes or Moises Caicedo. He played one game against Palmeiras in the Club World Cup, where he was very good as a number six. So he can play very well in both positions.”
Interestingly, Santos is not the only Brazilian player West Ham are considering.
Other reports suggest that West Ham are already in talks with Real Madrid about signing Endrik, and that Los Blancos are prepared to give the green light for a loan move for the striker, who has limited playing time at the Bernabéu, which now appears much more likely.