Nuno Espirito Santo says West Ham need to 'rebalance' squad in January transfer window
The London side are five points adrift of relegation safety after Saturday's loss to Fulham and are facing multiple departures in January.
West Ham United head coach Nuno Espirito Santo has said he needs to “rebalance” his squad during the January transfer window.
The London Stadium club remain in the relegation zone and are five points adrift of safety following their 1-0 home loss to Fulham on Saturday. West Ham are on a seven-game winless run in the Premier League, and have only recorded two victories (against Newcastle United and Burnley) since Nuno succeeded Graham Potter as head coach in late September.
Nuno wants to prioritise signing a defender and striker in January. Toulouse defender Charlie Cresswell is a top target, while there is also interest in Wolverhampton Wanderers No 9 Jorgen Strand Larsen and Slavia Prague forward Mojmir Chytil.
“It (January) is very important,” Nuno said on Saturday in his pre-match press conference ahead of Tuesday’s game against Brighton & Hove Albion. “We need to rebalance our squad but now it’s time to focus on (our next game against) Brighton.
“The club is working (on targets) and when the transfer window is open, we’ll make decisions. Like I said, I think we need to rebalance the squad. There are positions where we need to have more options.”
West Ham are facing multiple departures in the upcoming window, which begins on January 1.
Germany international Niclas Fullkrug is set to join AC Milan on loan. The 32-year-old forward, who has scored three goals across 29 appearances for West Ham following his £27million switch from Borussia Dortmund in August 2024, was given permission to undergo a medical at the Serie A side.
Midfielder James Ward-Prowse, 31, is also set to depart next month having failed to feature in a single matchday squad under Nuno, while fringe players Andy Irving, George Earthy, Luis Guilherme, Mohamadou Kante and Callum Marshall are expected to leave on loan.
West Ham host Brighton on Tuesday before playing winless Wolves and then Nottingham Forest, who are one place and five points clear of Nuno’s side. Summer signing Kyle Walker-Peters has called for unity ahead of a defining period in the club’s season.
“Stick with us,” the 28-year-old full-back told the club’s official website. “I think today (against Fulham) showed that we’re definitely still fighting and have chances to win games. Again, stick with us and we’ll look to put things right on Tuesday.”