Nuno finds 'missing piece of the puzzle' after West Ham deal agreed
Nuno Espirito Santo has reunited with his "right-hand man" by bringing long-time assistant Rui Pedro Silva to West Ham United.
That is according to former Everton chief executive Keith Wyness, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, who believes that the appointment of the boss' preferred assistant cements the Hammers' place as the favourites to win the Championship title next term.
West Ham confirmed the arrival of Silva last week, as he returned to Nuno's side after previously working under him at five different clubs, including both Wolves and Nottingham Forest.
Wyness believes that the value of Silva's arrival at the London Stadium cannot be underestimated, and noted that it may be the "missing piece of the puzzle" in terms of the club's fortunes.
The East Londoners are desperately hoping for an instant return to the Premier League next term, with Nuno trusted to lead them back at the first attempt.
There were doubts over the Portuguese's future at the helm, but the board have now backed him by helping him to bring his own man in as assistant.
Rui Pedro Silva appointment a game-changer for West Ham
Everton’s former chief Wyness – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – believes that Silva's return to Nuno's side could be a game-changer for West Ham.
The Scottish businessman has emphasised that West Ham fans should be "very positive" about the 49-year-old's arrival, given the success that he and Nuno have enjoyed together previously.
Speaking on the latest edition of Football Insider's Inside Track podcast, Wyness labelled Silva as being like "another part of his (Nuno's) brain."
"I think that's a big part of the missing piece of the puzzle. They were there together at Wolves when they got 99 points in the Championship and brought them up and established them in the Premier League," he said.
"They were together at Forest as well. Look, this is definitely Nuno's right-hand man. This is like another part of his brain. They operate very well together.
"I think it's great that he'll have another pair of eyes that are completely connected. This to me is a very positive move for West Ham and would confirm to me that they're going to be favourites to go up next year.
"With this sort of move, it's a big positive sign. So that's one thing I think the fans can be very positive about."
West Ham get 'boost' in chase of Everton star
Former West Ham scout Mick Brown told Football Insider earlier this week that Everton winger Dwight McNeil is keen on a move to the London Stadium this summer.
The Hammers have got their eyes fixed on the 26-year-old, and Brown believes that they are well-placed to make the link a reality in the coming weeks.
The ex-recruitment man outlined that McNeil is hoping to move to London for the next stage of his career, having narrowly missed out on a move to Crystal Palace back in January.
McNeil started just 14 games in the Premier League last term, and has fallen down the pecking order under David Moyes.