{"id":3855,"date":"2026-05-04T18:47:09","date_gmt":"2026-05-04T18:47:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/?p=3855"},"modified":"2026-05-04T18:47:09","modified_gmt":"2026-05-04T18:47:09","slug":"real-reason-west-ham-want-to-keep-nuno-espirito-santo-if-relegated-revealed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/?p=3855","title":{"rendered":"Real reason West Ham want to keep Nuno Espirito Santo if relegated revealed"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\"\"\/ Add as preferred source on Google<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

West Ham now look in grave danger of being relegated following a disastrous weekend but reports that the owners are happy to keep Nuno Espirito Santo if they drop are not quite accurate, according to Hammers News sources.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Hammers were woeful in both boxes and Nuno Espirito Santo was criticised by angry fans for his negative tactics and baffling team selection in the 3-0 defeat at Brentford.<\/p>\n

\n

Nuno faced similar criticism over his approach to West Ham\u2019s recent 0-0 draw at a distracted, disinterested and under-strength Crystal Palace side.<\/p>\n

The results \u2013 and a host of others that spring to mind under Nuno \u2013 look like costing West Ham their Premier League lives.<\/p>\n

Real reason West Ham owners are \u2018happy\u2019 to keep Nuno in Championship<\/h2>\n

As West Ham\u2019s sluggish players went down with a whimper against the Bees, Spurs and Nottingham Forest have won at Aston Villa and Chelsea respectively while Leeds beat Burnley.<\/p>\n

It means West Ham are now a point behind Spurs with three games to play. Although it is effectively two points given Tottenham\u2019s superior goal difference.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
<\/header>\n
\n
\n
\n

How do you FEEL about West Ham wanting to keep Nuno next season? \ud83d\ude33<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n
\n
\"A<\/div>
Credit: Getty Images\/Michael Regan<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n

Spurs host Leeds at home next while West Ham welcome Arsenal.<\/p>\n

The harsh reality is the Hammers could find themselves effectively needing to win against both Newcastle and Leeds in the final matches of the season \u2013 and hope Spurs fail to get anything against Chelsea and Everton \u2013 to have a chance of staying up.<\/p>\n

\n
\"Nuno<\/div>
Photo by Richard Pelham\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

With relegation now looking highly probable, attention has turned to the future of Nuno.<\/p>\n

While the Portuguese has done a decent job to turn the team around since January, he took far too long to get a response in the wasted months since his appointment in September.<\/p>\n

There was also some friction between West Ham\u2019s owners and the manager over transfers in January.<\/p>\n

Nuno pushed to sign Valentin Castellanos and Pablo at a total cost of \u00a347m, which does not look like money well spent given their woeful goal return.<\/p>\n

Hammers cannot afford to pay off yet another manager<\/h2>\n

Nuno also insisted on signing Adama Traore and has barely used him since.<\/p>\n

West Ham handed Nuno a three-year deal when he replaced the hapless Graham Potter.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
<\/header>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n

What would you say if Sullivan put West Ham up for sale TODAY?<\/h3>\n

Let us know in the comments\u2026<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\n
\n
\"President<\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n

As reported on several occasions since his arrival, Hammers News understands Nuno will walk away if West Ham are relegated to the Championship.<\/p>\n

The expectation would be that the Hammers board would not want to keep him either as he has failed in his primary task of keeping the club in the top flight.<\/p>\n

So there was some surprise on Monday when, 48 hours after the woeful Brentford loss, The Telegraph claimed West Ham\u2019s owners are \u2018happy\u2019 with Nuno and want him to continue in the Championship.<\/p>\n

\n
\"Jean-Clair<\/div>
Credit: Richard Pelham\/Carl Recine\/Rob Newell \u2013 CameraSport via Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

However, that is not entirely accurate according to senior West Ham sources speaking to Hammers News<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The real reason West Ham want to keep Nuno if relegated has been revealed \u2013 and it sums up the club\u2019s decline over the last few years.<\/p>\n

There was no mention of payoffs for Julen Lopetegui or Potter when West Ham filed their accounts showing club record \u00a3104m losses at the end of February.<\/p>\n

That indicated both remain on West Ham\u2019s payroll \u2013 alongside Nuno \u2013 in an example of the staggering cost of firing failed managers.<\/p>\n

It means West Ham have three managers currently on the payroll and Hammers News understands that is costing the club around \u00a310.5m per season or \u00a3875k a month.<\/p>\n

The Hammers will stop paying Lopetegui in June but still have to pay Potter until June 2027.<\/p>\n

And therein lies the real reason West Ham are \u201chappy\u201d to keep Nuno even if they are relegated.<\/p>\n

Because the Hammers simply cannot afford to pay off yet another manager, especially one who has nearly two-and-a-half years to run on his contract.<\/p>\n

Nursing \u00a3104m losses, West Ham are expected to make further big losses of well over \u00a380m in their next accounts.<\/p>\n

Throw in the fact the Hammers still owe \u00a3196m to other clubs for transfer instalments and the financial disaster that comes with falling off the Premier League gravy train and West Ham are in no position to be paying off another manager to bring in someone new.<\/p>\n

So West Ham\u2019s decision to keep Nuno on next season would be predominantly motivated by money rather than sporting ambition or whoever is best for the job of getting the club back to the big time.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
<\/svg><\/p>\n
Join Our Newsletter<\/span><\/p>\n

Receive a digest of our best West Ham content each week direct to your mailbox<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n