West Ham transfer gamble under pressure as Nuno faces decisive run

For West Ham United, the tension felt around the London Stadium right now is nothing new. Protests against the board, growing supporter unrest and creeping relegation fear have combined to create a familiar but increasingly urgent backdrop to the season.

While on-pitch performances remain the central concern, frustration among supporters runs deeper than results alone. A return of just one point from four winnable fixtures over the Christmas period has left West Ham seven points adrift of 17th-placed Nottingham Forest, prompting uncomfortable conversations about the club’s immediate future.

The prospect of Championship football for the first time in 14 years is not one Nuno Espírito Santo is prepared to entertain. Appointed in September with optimism surrounding his methods and man-management, Nuno now finds himself facing a decisive run that could define both his tenure and West Ham’s survival hopes.

Momentum from an FA Cup victory over Queens Park Rangers offered brief relief, but the league picture remains bleak. West Ham are winless in 10 Premier League matches and must now navigate a demanding sequence against Tottenham Hotspur, Sunderland and Chelsea before travelling to relegation rivals Burnley.

January backing from the board has placed additional responsibility on Nuno’s shoulders. The £26m arrival of Valentín Castellanos from Lazio is being viewed internally as a pivotal signing rather than a luxury addition.

Castellanos scored the winner against QPR after extra time, offering a glimpse of the presence West Ham have lacked in attack. History, however, has left supporters cautious. The club have previously invested heavily in forwards who started brightly before fading, and patience is now thin.

Nuno personally sanctioned the recruitment of Castellanos and Portuguese forward Pablo Felipe, underlining how central this attacking reset is to his project.

Despite persistent defensive problems, West Ham’s attacking output has been equally damaging. Nuno has struggled to maximise the influence of Jarrod Bowen and Lucas Paquetá, the latter also facing uncertainty amid renewed links to a return to Flamengo.

Veteran striker Callum Wilson is no longer part of the manager’s plans, while the counter-attacking framework Nuno prefers has failed to gain traction. West Ham rank fifth for goals scored on the counter this season, yet sit 19th for goals from open play — a stark indicator of structural imbalance.

The expected return of wing-back El Hadji Malick Diouf from AFCON will add pace, but the squad remains short of profiles suited to high-speed transition football.

Nuno’s early months were marked by positive feedback from within the training ground, with players responding to his attentiveness and clarity. That optimism has gradually eroded. Sources close to the situation suggest the head coach has become increasingly withdrawn as the winless run has dragged on, reflecting the growing weight of expectation.

West Ham still have time — and funds — to address weaknesses before the window closes. Whether those resources are used effectively may determine far more than league position.

West Ham’s next four league matches will likely shape the direction of their campaign. Results against Tottenham, Sunderland and Chelsea will test belief, while the trip to Burnley looms as a potential six-pointer. Further January recruitment remains possible, but clarity over system fit and profile selection will be critical if survival hopes are to be revived.

Can Castellanos provide the spark West Ham desperately need, or are deeper structural changes required for Nuno’s project to survive?