Nuno Espirito Santo is about to be seriously humbled as West Ham transfer reality smacks him in the face
Nuno Espirito Santo has his eyes fixed firmly on the January transfer window as he bids to try to haul West Ham clear of the relegation battle.
The Hammers are currently inside the Premier League drop zone, and are likely to stay there for Christmas Day, as they are currently three points behind Leeds United with a daunting trip to Manchester City to come this weekend.
Nuno has undoubtedly made West Ham tougher to beat since his arrival, but there is still a concerning lack of quality in the squad that simply must be adequately addressed in the winter window.
The Portuguese looks set to try and tackle the difficult striker situation at West Ham when the window opens, something which several of his predecessors have tried and failed to achieve in the past.
Promise David likely to reject West Ham as Nuno in for nasty surprise
West Ham have been linked with Promise David in recent weeks, as speculation begins to swirl regarding who could potentially join the ranks at the London Stadium next month.
The Canadian doesn’t boast a big reputation within the game, but could prove to be a shrewd piece of business for a club in a ‘top five’ league this summer, amid another prolific season for Union St Gilloise.
The 24-year-old cut his teeth in Estonian football before moving to Belgium last season, but he promptly defied expectations to hit 24 goals in all competitions last term.
West Ham are keen to sign the frontman in January and are already prepared to meet Union’s demands for a deal, according to journalist Sacha Tavolieri via Walfoot.
However, Nuno and Co. are in for a nasty surprise, as David doesn’t want to leave the Belgian side mid-season, and is understood to be unlikely to be tempted by West Ham.
That serves a striking dose of reality to Nuno as to the problem that he is likely to face in January, the East Londoners are simply not an attractive proposition for players after stalling the careers of so many stars in recent years.
West Ham cannot afford to lose out on Troy Parrott
West Ham are among the clubs chasing Troy Parrott ahead of January, as it looks increasingly likely that a return to British football could be on the cards for the former Tottenham youngster.
The Irons have tried their luck with several different types of strikers in recent years, and from countless different footballing backgrounds.
However, in Parrott, they have a target who has grown up in British football and is also young and hungry enough to prove that he has what it takes to be a Premier League player.
In theory, the 23-year-old could be the perfect answer to Nuno’s striker woes, but that will rely on David Sullivan and Co. beating the likes of Leeds United to the deal.
Given the difficulties that West Ham are likely to encounter in the market next month, the Parrott race feels like one that they simply have to win if they are to survive in the top flight.