West Ham have opened early talks to secure Nuno Espirito Santo’s first signing as manager — and the club want the deal ready to go the moment the January window opens, Hammers News can confirm.
The Hammers have given themselves a mountain to climb to avoid relegation from the Premier League this season.
One win from the first nine games and just four points on the board have made West Ham genuine relegation candidates.
Unless things improve drastically then the Irons could find themselves cut adrift by the January transfer window.
West Ham must somehow go from winning one in nine to one in every three if they are to have a realistic chance of staying up.
Nuno’s West Ham priority shifts ahead of window
That is the task for Nuno Espirito Santo, who has seen a positive start in his first two games collapse spectacularly with a series of bizarre selection decisions in two very damaging defeats to Brentford and Leeds.
Things don’t get any easier for Nuno either with Newcastle United up next this weekend.
It was clear in the summer that West Ham had done nowhere near enough business to ensure they had sufficient squad depth and quality for what was always expected to be the most competitive Premier League season of the last 15 years.
So it has proved with all three promoted sides out-performing the Hammers in embarrassing fashion thus far.
West Ham are already cut adrift in the bottom three and need back-to-back wins just to have a chance of climbing out.
Even then that would depend on results elsewhere. And this is a quarter of the way through the season.
January will represent the last chance saloon for the Hammers to stay up.
The business done during that window could well define the club’s future for years to come.
An astonishing £95m West Ham January window claim emerged yesterday from a confidant of Hammers chief David Sullivan.
That is the level of investment the owners could be reluctantly forced to inject to keep the club on the Premier League gravy train.
When the new head coach first arrived he identified West Ham must sign him a new striker in January.
West Ham in early talks to seal Nuno’s first signing ready for January 1st
A leading Sky Sports journalist has since revealed the Hammers plan to sign a striker, midfielder and defender in January at the very least.
Now it seems work is afoot to ensure West Ham do that in a timely fashion given every single game and point is precious from here on out.
After dragging their heels all summer while their rivals set a new record for Premier League spending, the Hammers have been scared into action.
Now they are wasting no time as they look to strengthen the struggling squad and give Nuno some help to save the season.
Hammers News can confirm West Ham are in early talks to seal Nuno’s first signing ready for January 1st.
ESPN Brasil claimed yesterday that West Ham are targeting Brazilian defender Alexsandro of Lille in a £26m deal ahead of January.
The Lille centre-back recently earned his first Brazil call-up and is reportedly seen as a key part of Nuno’s plans for a defensive rebuild.
Hammers News put the claim about Alexsandro to a top transfer source inside West Ham.
And the response was encouraging about the 6ft 3in 26-year-old centre-back.
Because while the club does intend to sign a striker and other players, the joint priority is now a new centre-back given the dismal performances of £72m duo Jean-Clair Todibo and Max Kilman.
Nuno want Alexsandro in his side as soon as window opens
“The team simply must stop conceding goals at the rate they have been and it looks like there’s only one way to fix that now,” the top West Ham transfer source told Hammers News.
“The Lille player (Alexsandro) was on Nuno’s list when he arrived and he is the top target.
“Early talks have been held over price and whether the deal can be done and the signs are good. Ideally Nuno wants him in the building in the first week of January as every game is going to be so important.
“But the player will need assurances he can be allowed to leave if the worst happens because he wants to go to the World Cup with Brazil.”
Alexsandro is represented by Roc Nation, the agents of Lucas Paqueta, who have a good relationship with the Hammers.
