by Staff Writer
Wednesday, 27th May 2026
Nuno Espirito Santo is set to lead West Ham United's attempt to make an instant return to the Premier League.
A statement released on behalf of the board late on Wednesday evening confirmed that the Portuguese Head Coach would be remaining in situ following a meeting between the board and Santo earlier in the day.
"Although relegation is not what any of us wanted, we now have to look forward," read the missive. "The board must now review every aspect of the club’s operation to ensure that when we return to the Premier League – hopefully in August 2027 – we are a better West Ham United in every way, on and off the pitch.
"The football operation always has to be our first priority and the planning for next season started as soon as the final whistle sounded on Sunday. We held meetings with Head Coach Nuno Espirito Santo early this week and are pleased to confirm that he has expressed his continued commitment to the club – as we have to him.
"Nuno made it very clear that he is highly motivated for the challenge of guiding West Ham United back to the top flight at the first time of asking. That must be the unquestionable goal for next season. Nuno has spent one previous year in the EFL Championship and it was an outstanding success as he secured 99 points to win the title with Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2018.
"While the ultimate outcome on Sunday was a painful one, the Board of Directors believe that there have been broader signs of improvement and progress in recent months, and we want Nuno to continue developing that progress.
"A total of 25 points taken from our final 17 Premier League matches equated to 1.47 points per game – a ratio that would have resulted in a seventh-place finish across the full season. Furthermore, we feel the clear improvement in squad mentality and togetherness since January, leading to that upturn in performances and results, makes him the right man to lead us forward."
Santo took charge of 33 of West Ham's 38 Premier League matches this season, accruing a total of 36 points at an average of 1.1 points per game - a figure lower than every one of his full time predecessors at the club bar Graham Potter (1.00) and Avram Grant (0.89).
The coach with the highest PPG average in the modern era is David Moyes, at 1.34 point per game.
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