West Ham next manager: Ex-boss could return to Hammers amid Nuno sack latest
Nuno Espirito Santo has continued to fail in his attempts to recover West Ham’s form since his appointment in September.
The former Wolves and Nottingham Forest manager has now only won two of his 12 games in charge of the London Stadium, leaving the Hammers five points adrift of 17th in the relegation zone.
After the 1-0 defeat to Fulham, many supporters want Nuno sacked at West Ham, with the appointment clearly failing to date.
As a result, West Ham’s Premier League survival is now in the balance going into 2026.
Defeat. pic.twitter.com/Q2uOSXcqkA
— West Ham United (@WestHam) December 27, 2025
Nuno Espirito Santo sack latest
Nuno’s arrival appeared to be a shrewd bit of business from West Ham after the manager guided Nottingham Forest to Europe last season.
However, with results continuing to decline, it is unlikely that the coach can last much longer if he cannot deliver victories.
The bookies recognise this and have made Nuno the third-favourite to be sacked next in the Premier League after Saturday’s defeat, only behind Scott Parker and Thomas Frank.
Therefore, the next few games could decide his future, with ties against Brighton, Wolves and Nottingham Forest coming.
Failure to win these would almost certainly see Nuno removed from the dugout, and David Sullivan attempting one last throw of the dice to save the season.
Slaven Bilic could take over at West Ham
One manager who has had previous success at West Ham is Slaven Bilic.
The former Hammers star oversaw a highly successful period between 2015-17, where he managed to return the East London club to Europe.
While Bilic has not found similar success in England since his departure almost a decade ago, he remains highly regarded by the fanbase.
Bilic was linked with the West Ham post upon Graham Potter’s sacking, and now, the 57-year-old could be the perfect replacement for Nuno if he were to depart.
The manager would no doubt have the backing of the London Stadium faithful, which could help turn the atmosphere at home.
On top of this, Sullivan may be more favourable to the appointment given his success in the Championship, with Bilic leading West Brom to the Premier League in 2020.
Therefore, the appointment would make sense for all parties, and would cover all bases in case West Ham’s position is not saveable come January.