West Ham once bid £40m for ‘fantastic’ star, now he could help Tottenham get Nuno Espirito Santo sacked
Nuno Espirito Santo faces a must-win game against Tottenham as West Ham drift further and further from Premier League safety.
Joined by Wolves and Burnley, West Ham are firmly in the relegation battle, falling seven points off 17th-place Nottingham Forest after defeat against the Reds last week.
To make matters worse, Lucas Paquata might be unavailable for the trip across London, as rumours continue to circulate around the Brazilian’s potential move to Flamengo.
With Thomas Frank also under pressure at Tottenham, the clash at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday, 17 January, could be seen as a vital six-pointer, especially for the Hammers.
Tottenham add Conor Gallagher to the squad ahead of West Ham
Although Spurs have just been dealt a new injury blow, with Richarlison sidelined for up to seven weeks, Dominic Solanke has returned to action, getting a few minutes under his belt against Aston Villa.
In addition to the striker’s return, Tottenham have signed Conor Gallagher from Atletico Madrid, with the midfielder already in contention to feature just three days after his arrival.
Rodrigo Bentancur has not filled many supporters with hope, and with Archie Gray in and out of the starting lineup, the former Chelsea man could be ready for his debut against West Ham.
Described as “fantastic” by Jamie O’Hara during his days at Crystal Palace [talkSPORT], Frank would be a fool not to give him minutes, even if starting him is a little too early.
Nuno Espirito Santo is in serious danger of being sacked
Gallagher, a 22-time England international, is clearly a well-known figure across London, with the Hammers once having a £40million bid rejected by Chelsea for his signature in 2023 [Standard].
Obviously, he instead moved to Spain, where he made 77 appearances for Atletico Madrid. But now, he could return to the capital and give Nuno and his players an absolute nightmare this weekend.
Nuno is at serious risk of being sacked, just four months into his tenure, having overseen just one victory in the Hammers’ last seven games across all competitions.
Facing Spurs could be his final chance to persuade the hierarchy that he can turn it around in East London, but Gallagher will want to make a much better first impression, which could tip the scales against Nuno.