Nuno Espirito Santo in talks with West Ham hierarchy over future after relegation from Premier League on final day of season
Nuno Espirito Santo was unable to keep Hammers in top flight after his appointment in September; West Ham were relegated on final day of the season despite win over Leeds; they accumulated 39 points, the highest total for a relegated team in 15 years
Monday 25 May 2026 12:28, UK
Nuno Espirito Santo and West Ham's hierarchy are in talks regarding his future at the club following relegation from the Premier League.
West Ham are able to terminate his contract without compensation due to the their relegation and Nuno is also able to walk away from his contract.
He guided the Hammers to 39 points after victory over Leeds on the final day of the season, but they still fell into the Championship with the highest points total for a relegated side in 15 years.
Nuno took charge of West Ham in September following the sacking of Graham Potter, who lost five of his first six games of the season.
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Nuno - who won 12 of his 37 matches at the London Stadium - was himself sacked by Nottingham Forest just weeks before arriving in east London.
Analysis: Nuno won't be out of work for long if he does leave
Sky Sports' Lewis Jones:
Sitting in what could end up being Nuno Espirito Santo's final press conference as West Ham boss after the win over Leeds, there was an unmistakable sense of inevitability hanging in the room. The relationship between club and manager appeared to have reached the end of the road long before the formalities.
Nuno arrived as the highest-paid head coach in West Ham's history, tasked with steering the club towards progression but instead oversaw relegation. Cost-cutting now becomes the priority and, as reports suggest, West Ham may have even be able to terminate his contract without a significant payoff due to relegation clauses.
Nuno was keen to stress after the Leeds defeat that West Ham went down with 39 points - a tally that, across the previous 10 Premier League campaigns, would comfortably have been enough for survival. The average survival line during that period sat at 32.5 points. This was not a side cut adrift in February, doomed by incompetence. It was a team caught on the wrong side of unusually high standards for survival.
Across the final 14 Premier League matches, West Ham collected 19 points - the eighth-best return in the division during that spell. That form projects more towards steady mid-table form than relegation collapse.
Nuno's reputation is unlikely to suffer significantly within the game. Coaches with his organisational quality, calm authority and Premier League experience do not remain out of work for long if he was to be released. The final league table will always carry his name beside a relegation, but those looking beyond the headline numbers will see context.
Nuno's final West Ham interview?
"Tough day for us. We knew it would be difficult and we did our part but it did not happen." Nuno said to Sky Sports after the final day relegation.
"The moment is to just feel this sadness. We had a tough mission and the boys tried it. I wish things could be different for our future but at least we finish with dignity.
"It doesn't take away the sadness. We did many good things, but now it is tough to look back and analyse. I just spoke with the boys, we are all sad going through this period."
Nev calls for West Ham to keep Bowen
Speaking on the Gary Neville podcast, Nev said: "By the end of the week, you want to try and lock Jarrod Bowen in with a big contract to stay, which will be difficult because they are going to lose a lot of revenue this year.
"That then stabilises the dressing room potentially and stabilises the fanbase somewhat from where they will be tonight which is absolutely desperately disappointed.
"Those two are really important. Lock those in. You've also got Summerville, Soucek, Fernandes. I like the two centre-forwards, they're a handful.
"There are players there who will be sought after by other Premier League clubs. If you're West Ham, you're big enough club. You've had enough years of Premier League revenue. You've had European success.
"It's about stabilising beyond this. They have probably planned for this for a number of weeks. You'd have to, not just financially but also because of resources and personnel.
"It's important they get some good PR messages out there quite quickly."
