Nuno Stays As West Ham Backs Immediate Premier League Return

West Ham United have confirmed that manager Nuno Espirito Santo will remain in charge despite the club’s relegation from the Premier League.

The Portuguese coach met senior club officials on Monday following the Hammers’ drop into the Championship, with both sides deciding against parting ways and instead committing to an immediate push for promotion.

In an open letter to supporters, the club said: “We are pleased to confirm he has expressed his continued commitment to the club, as we have to him.

“Nuno made it very clear that he is highly motivated for the challenge of guiding West Ham United back to the top flight for the first time of asking. That must be the unquestionable goal for next season.

“Nuno has spent one previous year in the Championship and it was an outstanding success as he secured 99 points to win the title with Wolverhampton Wanderers.”

West Ham were relegated for the first time since 2012 after a disappointing campaign that has left the club facing a major financial hit.

Club insiders believe relegation will cost around £200m in lost revenue. With the club already posting losses exceeding £100m in their latest accounts and further losses expected this season, player departures now look unavoidable.

Captain Jarrod Bowen and Portugal midfielder Mateus Fernandes are among the high-profile names attracting interest ahead of the summer transfer window.

Nuno previously guided Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. to promotion in 2018 with a squad featuring Ruben Neves and loan signing Diogo Jota. Whether he will have a similar quality available next season remains uncertain.

The club, however, believe performances improved significantly during the latter stages of the campaign after a difficult start that followed the dismissal of Graham Potter in September.

“While the outcome on Sunday was a painful one, the board of directors believe that there have been broader signs of improvement and progress in recent months, and we want Nuno to continue developing that progress,” the statement added.

“A total of 25 points taken from our final 17 Premier League matches equated to 1.47 points per game – a ratio that would have resulted in a 7th place finish across the total season. Furthermore, we feel the clear improvement in squad mentality and togetherness since January, leading to that upturn in performances and results, makes him the right man to lead us forward.”