Nuno Espirito Santo may divide opinion among West Ham fans after stepping in personally to block three deals the club were offered in the January window.
West Ham went into the winter market knowing it was last chance saloon when it comes to the club’s bid for Premier League survival.
The Hammers were well short in several key areas, particularly up front and at centre-back.
There was also a serious lack of options should anything happen to captain Jarrod Bowen or fellow winger Crysencio Summerville.
It is fair to say those three areas were addressed by West Ham – but debate continues to rage over whether enough was done and if those signed are good enough to make a difference to the club’s fate.
Was West Ham’s window of opportunity wasted?
Especially after the Irons sold Lucas Paqueta to Flamengo for £36.5m but then only signed defender Axel Disasi on a loan deal.
Many Hammers fans wanted to see the club do – and spend – more. Especially as they ended up making a profit overall.
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Time will tell whether the board and Nuno Espirito Santo have got things right.
West Ham forked out £47m on strikers Taty Castellanos and Pablo in the opening days of the window.
While both work extremely hard for the team, there are already concerns they lack the quality, pace and power to make an impact and score goals in the Premier League – something both are yet to do.
Jesse Lingard during West Ham United v Leicester City - Premier League
Photo by John Walton – Pool/Getty Images
Disasi has not played a game of competitive football for over five months, raising question marks over whether he can come in and be up to the level required for the final 14 games.
There have always been big question marks over Adama Traore and his lack of end product.
The hulking winger was Nuno’s top target for January and he eventually got his man.
Although now somewhat iconic, his first act as a West Ham player was to spark a mass confrontation against Chelsea during which Jean-Clair Todibo got himself sent off.
Little known Venezuelan winger Keiber Lamadrid was the other West Ham signing, on loan for the rest of the season with a dirt cheap £1m option to buy.
The Hammers board explained the thinking behind signing Lamadrid, a player recommended to David Sullivan by scouts.
Lingard personally pushed for West Ham return
He had only just started pre-season training in Venezuela and so may not be ready to come into the mix for another month or so.
Although Lamadrid made a good first impression when scoring a wonderful goal from outside the box on his first outing for West Ham’s Under 21s in midweek.
A mixed transfer window for the Hammers! ⚒️
But what is your biggest January regret? What would you change if you could?
There could have been more arrivals, though.
And many fans may think there should have been, only for the manager to put a stop to several moves.
Nuno stepped in to block three West Ham transfers after a new Jesse Lingard revelation.
Axel Disasi of France - Press Conference And Training Session - FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022
Photo by Jean Catuffe/Getty Images
No transfer window is complete for the Hammers unless the club is linked with Lingard.
JLingz has been linked with West Ham in every single window since he lit up the Premier League during an unforgettable six-month loan spell with the Hammers back in 2021.
Lingard helped West Ham secure a sixth place finish and Europa League football, coming agonisingly close to qualifying for the Champions League as the club recorded its best ever Premier League points total.
Lingard registered 14 goals and assists in 16 games and looked set to sign permanently but joined Nottingham Forest instead.
A move to Korea followed but Lingard left there recently ahead of the January window.
When he was pictured training in Essex, many believed a return to West Ham was on the cards.
Hammers boss pulled plug on two defender deals
Back in December West Ham’s owners revealed Lingard had been offered to the club.
Now it has emerged Lingard was actually personally pushing for a return to West Ham.
But talkSPORT claim Nuno stepped in to block any Lingard return, insisting the club prioritised a deal for his former Wolves star Traore instead.
Whether that was the right move or not will soon become clear.
Especially as West Ham needed a playmaker who can operate centrally following Paqueta’s exit.
That was not the only deal Nuno pulled the plug on, though.
According to TEAMtalk’s Graeme Bailey, West Ham came close to signing Senegalese defender Arouna Sangante in the final week of the window.
But Nuno once again said ‘no’ and made a late change of direction to push for Disasi instead.
Talks were at an advanced stage between West Ham and Le Havre for Sangante, who has been one of the best young defenders in Ligue 1 this season.
The West Ham board were very keen to push the deal over the line for the highly‑rated 23-year-old Senegalese centre-back, who received a ringing endorsement from El Hadji Malick Diouf internally.
The hierarchy reportedly viewed Sangante as a long-term investment with significant upside.
But Nuno blocked the deal and demanded a more experienced centre-back who was proven in the Premier League.
Another deal reportedly blocked by Nuno is a decision which is likely to be backed by West Ham fans.
When Nuno pulled the plug on Sangante and demanded a more senior defender with Premier League experience, West Ham are said to have tried for Hull City’s John Egan – who had a trial with the club in the recent past.
Egan played a behind-closed-doors friendly for West Ham against Dagenham and Redbridge in January last year as the then free agent looked to find a new club.
But West Ham did not sign him and he went on to join Hull.
After Nuno’s request for an experienced centre-back, West Ham’s owners reportedly reignited interest in 33-year-old Egan only to be shot down by Nuno who insisted on the Disasi deal.
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