Three West Ham players set to benefit most from Nuno Espirito Santo’s arrival
West Ham United are set for major tactical changes now that Nuno Espirito Santo is set to replace Graham Potter.
On Saturday, 27 September, Football Insider revealed that Espirito Santo’s first game in charge of West Ham will come against Everton on Monday, 29 September, after he agreed a deal to take over from Potter.
The 51-year-old Portugese steered his former club, Nottingham Forest, to a seventh-place finish in the Premier League last term.
In their last Premier League game, West Ham were beaten 2-1 by Crystal Palace, which proved to be the last straw for Potter.
But which members of the Hammers squad will benefit the most from Espirito Santo’s arrival?
Max Kilman
Central defender Max Kilman made a strong account of himself throughout Potter’s largely woeful tenure in charge of the East London club.
| Graham Potter stats | West Ham January 2025- September 2025 |
| Matches | 25 |
| Wins | 6 |
| Draws | 5 |
| Losses | 14 |
Since joining West Ham from Wolves in the summer of 2024, the 28-year-old has proven both his defensive solidity and his strong ability in possession.
Kilman previously worked under Espirito Santo at Molineux, and should be delighted to reunite with the Portuguese boss.
Jarrod Bowen
Jarrod Bowen scored when West Ham beat Nottingham Forest 3-0, which turned out to be Potter’s last win, and Espirito Santo’s final game in charge of the City Ground club.
That feat is just one example of the England forward’s positive feats at the London Stadium, as he was the Irons’ talisman under both Potter and David Moyes.
At Forest, wingers Anthony Elanga and Callum Hudson-Odoi both heavily benefited from Espirito Santo’s counter-attacking ethos, and Bowen should be relishing a footballing philosophy that is well-suited to him.
Niclas Fullkrug
Since moving to the London Stadium from German giants Borussia Dortmund back in August 2024, Niclas Fullkrug has struggled at West Ham.
In his final season with Dortmund, though, the 32-year-old notched 15 goals and 11 assists in 43 appearances, spearheading them to the Champions League final.
Espirito Santo has previously worked well with target-man strikers like Forest’s Chris Wood and former Wolves ace Raul Jimenez.
Therefore, the 51-year-old should have what it takes to get a tune out of the misfiring Fullkrug.