West Ham name Nuno Espirito Santo as new manager after Potter exit
West Ham United have confirmed the appointment of Nuno Espirito Santo on a three-year deal, just hours after parting ways with Graham Potter.
The Portuguese coach, most recently dismissed by Nottingham Forest earlier this month, arrives following a turbulent start to the Premier League season for the Hammers — a 3-0 loss to Sunderland on matchday one was followed by heavy defeats to Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur.
Potter’s final match saw them lose 2-1 at home to Crystal Palace amid growing fan unrest. Though the decision wasn’t immediate, he continued with club media duties on Friday before being relieved of his role.
“My objective is to work hard to get the very best from the team and ensure that we are as competitive as we possibly can be,” Espirito Santo said. “The work has already started and I am looking forward to the challenge that is ahead.”
Espirito Santo’s appointment offers him “another chance” at top-flight management. He had steered Forest out of relegation danger when he joined in December 2023 and then oversaw a surprise push into the Europa League by finishing seventh last season. However, tensions reportedly mounted after his relationship with club owner Evangelos Marinakis deteriorated.
He will take charge for the first time when West Ham face Everton away on Monday. Intriguingly, his opponent will be the Hammers’ former boss David Moyes, who left in 2024 after guiding the club to its first major trophy in 43 years — the UEFA Conference League.
Under Potter, West Ham shipped 13 goals in their opening five games — the league’s worst defensive record — and were knocked out of the League Cup by Wolverhampton Wanderers. The club lamented, “Results and performances over the course of the second half of last season and the start of the 2025-26 season have not matched expectations. The Board of Directors believe that a change is necessary in order to help improve the team’s position in the Premier League as soon as possible.”
Potter had taken over in January, replacing Julen Lopetegui, but could only oversee five Premier League wins in his campaign in charge, culminating in a 14th-place finish. “I am incredibly disappointed to be leaving West Ham, particularly without being able to achieve what we set out to achieve at the start of our journey in East London,” he said in his exit statement. “I do, however, fully acknowledge that the results have just not been good enough up to now.”
A challenging summer saw West Ham lose experienced players including Aaron Cresswell, Vladimir Coufal, Danny Ings, Michail Antonio and Kurt Zouma. Mohammed Kudus also departed for London rivals Tottenham in a deal reportedly worth around £55 million. In response, the club spent approximately £70 million, bringing in full back El Hadji Malick Diouf, goalkeeper Mads Hermansen and striker Callum Wilson.
SportsLigue