Nuno Espirito Santo has wasted little time identifying his number one January transfer window priority as West Ham launch early talks for his first signing.
Make no bones about it, Nuno Espirito Santo has inherited a mess from Graham Potter at West Ham.
The Hammers’ worst ever permanent boss left behind a shell of a team and it is now up to Nuno to try and turn the sinking ship around.
One of Potter’s biggest mistakes was not signing a powerful, pacy striker.
The Hammers boss publicly stated he did not feel West Ham needed to go out and sign a new forward.
Potter then had Callum Wilson forced on him by the board.
Latest Fullkrug injury exposes paper-thin West Ham options
But while that was clearly a completely unambitious signing, the Hammers will be thanking their stars they did after Niclas Fullkrug picked up yet another injury.
Eyebrows were raised when West Ham signed Fullkrug for £27m in the first place given his lengthy history of serious injuries throughout his career.
Fullkrug missed three-quarters of his debut season with another two to add to that list.
He was injured again in the September international break, although only missed one game.
Now Fullkrug looks set to be out for several weeks at least after tearing a group of thigh muscles in West Ham training.
Fullkrug has been West Ham’s starting striker under both Potter and new boss Nuno Espirito Santo this season.
Nuno does not appear to fancy Wilson at all, preferring youngster Callum Marshall over him when Fullkrug was substituted at Arsenal.
When Potter first arrived he instantly lost Crysencio Summerville and Fullkrug to injury to add to the absence of Jarrod Bowen.
So he only signed Evan Ferguson out of necessity in one of the worst West Ham loan moves ever – and there have been a few; come to the stage Kalvin Phillips.
Quite why or how Potter fathomed West Ham could get through a season without prioritising signing a younger striker is anyone’s guess.
West Ham make first move of Nuno era as early talks begin for exciting star
The folly of that decision has been brutally exposed by Fullkrug’s latest injury blow.
That particular cloud has a silver lining for West Ham, though.
Because it has clearly cemented the number one priority for the winter window in the mind of the new head coach.
Now West Ham have made a first move of the Nuno Espirito Santo era as early talks begin for an exciting star.
The Hammers have already been linked with a host of forwards including Chris Wood, Joshua Zirkzee, Gabriel Jesus, Franculino Dju and Real Madrid’s Endrick.
Winger Adama Traore, who Nuno wanted at Forest, has also been heavily linked with a January move from Fulham to West Ham.
Now Nuno has his sights set on former Barcelona forward Vitor Roque in a move which would transform West Ham’s front line.
The 20-year-old Brazilian striker struggled to establish himself at Barca and was loaned out to former West Ham manager Manuel Pellegrini at Real Betis last season.
Roque scored seven goals in 33 games for Betis and was sold by Barcelona to Palmeiras for £20m back in February.
Back in Brazil, Roque has scored 13 goals and laid on three assists in 43 games.
Nuno wants more torque with Roque as Guilherme swap mooted
Claret and Hugh claim new Hammers boss Nuno has Roque on his radar and that Palmeiras would be open to a player plus cash deal whereby £20m teenager Luis Guilherme returns to his former club.
Guilherme has struggled to establish himself in east London since joining 15 months ago and if he fails to make a breakthrough under Nuno it may be decided it is best for all parties if he departs.
The good news is the agents involved in any potential deal have been known to work together in the past.
André Cury represents Roque and Nuno’s agent Jorge Mendes is going to be an influential figure in West Ham’s transfer business moving forward.
Both Cury and Mendes are influential figures in football and enjoy strong relations as a result of being close with Barca sporting director Deco.
Hammers News understands early exploratory talks were held where the possibility of Guilherme returning to Palmeiras to sweeten the deal was discussed.
So this could be one to watch very closely indeed.
