There would seemingly be no turning back for a West Ham star as Nuno Espírito Santo ultimately decides he does not want the player, and a January exit is now being described as inevitable.
The pressure on Nuno’s shoulders eased slightly after back-to-back wins over Newcastle and Burnley, which also gave the Hammers much-needed encouragement to survive relegation.
Before their only back-to-back home wins since October last year, West Ham looked set for a drop to the Championship for the first time since 2011, but six points from Nuno’s last two matches suddenly turned the narrative on its head.
However, things don’t get any easier for West Ham from this point on, with Nuno preparing for a tough run of matches straight after the international break.
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West Ham’s Premier League results so far |
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Sunderland 3-0 West Ham |
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West Ham 1-5 Chelsea |
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Nottingham Forest 0-3 West Ham |
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West Ham 0-3 Tottenham |
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West Ham 1-2 Crystal Palace |
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Everton 1-1 West Ham |
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Arsenal 2-0 West Ham |
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West Ham 0-2 Brentford |
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Leeds 2-1 West Ham |
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West Ham 3-1 Newcastle |
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West Ham 3-2 Burnley |
The east Londoners face Bournemouth and Liverpool before traveling to Man United, who are enjoying a resurgence under Ruben Amorim, with Aston Villa and Premier League title contenders Man City also awaiting them over the festive period.
After that, the January transfer window represents a major lifeline for West Ham, and reports suggest the club are set for a very active winter when it comes to incomings and outgoings. Sky Sports report that West Ham are targeting a new defender, midfielder and striker in January, with Nuno assured David Sullivan and co have money to spend on new talent.
A few players are also likely to go out the exit door, notably striker Niclas Füllkrug, who has apparently been given the green light to leave after a lackluster spell marred by injuries and a lack of form.
West Ham could also sell Guido Rodriguez for pure profit after signing him on a free transfer from Real Betis last year, but one of the players who looks by far the most likely to leave is midfielder James Ward-Prowse.
The 31-year-old was left out of the West Ham squad immediately after Nuno’s arrival, despite being vice-captain under Graham Potter and a “quiet leader” of the team.
James Ward-Prowse ‘almost certain’ to leave West Ham after Nuno decision
For anyone wondering, there is basically no chance of Ward-Prowse getting back into contention, with Nuno fully deciding he is surplus to requirements.
That’s according to journalist Dean Jones, who told TEAMtalk this week that the Englishman is “almost certain” to leave because David Moyes’ Everton are genuinely interested.
“Everton are going to look at the possibility of signing James Ward-Prowse, and he is one of the players who looks almost certain to change clubs in January,” Jones told TEAMtalk.
“There is no question of him coming back into West Ham’s plans. Nuno simply doesn’t want him in the team; he is not open to the idea of such a turnaround.
“I don’t see any possibility of West Ham trying to stop him from leaving. I think they will treat him with respect and give him the chance to move. He will certainly consider himself good enough for the Premier League and capable of doing a job at Everton, so I expect them to find out what terms West Ham are open to.”
The question for West Ham is how much money they can recoup from the sale of Ward-Prowse, and how much money could be reinvested in strengthening key areas when the January trade window opens.
Sullivan will also want to take the former Southampton star’s £115,000-a-week salary off the book as he is currently the fourth highest earner at the club behind Alphonse Areola, Lucas Paqueta and Jarrod Bowen.
