There’s reportedly no way back for one West Ham star as Nuno Espírito Santo ultimately decides that he doesn’t want the player, and a January exit is now described as inevitable.
The pressure on Nuno’s shoulders has slightly eased following back-to-back victories against Newcastle and Burnley, which also gifted the Hammers some much-needed encouragement over surviving the relegation dog scrap.
Before their only consecutive home wins since October last year, West Ham looked nailed on for a drop to the Championship for the first time since 2011, but six points from Nuno’s last two matches have suddenly flipped the narrative on its head.
However, things don’t get any easier for West Ham from this point onward, with Nuno braced for a tough round of fixtures just after the international break.
West Ham’s results in the Premier League 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
Leeds 2-1 West Ham
West Ham 3-1 Newcastle
West Ham 3-2 Burnley
The east Londoners take on Bournemouth and Liverpool before travelling to Man United, who are enjoying a resurgence under Ruben Amorim, with Aston Villa and Premier League title contenders Man City awaiting them over the festive period as well.
After that, the January transfer window does represent 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 given assurances that David Sullivan and co have money to spend on fresh talent.
We’re also likely to see a fair few players head out the exit door, not least striker Niclas Füllkrug, who has apparently been given the green-light to leave after a lacklustre 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 player who looks the most likely to depart by far is midfielder James Ward-Prowse.
The 31-year-old was axed from West Ham’s matchday 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 anybody wondering, there is basically no chance for Ward-Prowse to play his way back into contention, with Nuno fully deciding that he’s surplus to requirements.
That is according to journalist Dean Jones, who told TEAMtalk this week that the Englishman is “almost certain” to leave as David Moyes’ Everton take real interest.
“Everton are going to look at the possibility of signing James Ward-Prowse, and he is one of the players that looks almost certain to move clubs in January,” Jones told TEAMtalk.
“There’s no way he’s getting back into the plans at West Ham. Nuno just doesn’t want him in the team; he is not open to the idea of this turning around.
“I don’t see any possibility that West Ham try to stop him from leaving. I think they will treat him with respect and allow him the chance to move. He’ll definitely consider himself good enough for the Premier League and capable of doing a job at Everton, so I do expect them to find out what terms West Ham are open to.”
The question for West Ham is how much money they can recuperate from Ward-Prowse’s sale, and how much could be reinvested into bolstering key areas when the January window opens for business.
Sullivan will also be keen to get the former Southampton star’s £115,000-per-week wages off the books, as he is currently the club’s fourth-highest earner behind Alphonse Areola, Lucas Paqueta and Jarrod Bowen.
