The former Nottingham Forest manager's future was in the spotlight after West Ham's relegation from the Premier League
Robert O'Connor Press Association
12:10, 27 May 2026Updated 12:12, 27 May 2026
File photo dated 17/05/26 of Nuno Espirito Santo. Nuno Espirito Santo will remain as head coach of West Ham, the club have announced. Issue date: Wednesday May 27, 2026.
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Nuno Espirito Santo(Image: © 2026 PA Media, All Rights Reserved)
Nuno Espirito Santo will stay on as head coach of West Ham following Premier League relegation after positive talks with club bosses this week.
Meetings to determine Nuno's future were held on Monday, a day after the 3-0 win over Leeds that was not enough to prevent dropping into the Championship, though he had widely been expected to depart.
The Hammers enjoyed a significant upturn in form between January and April, taking 22 points from 13 matches to pull themselves out of the relegation zone, having seemingly been buried after losing to Nottingham Forest on January 6.
However, three defeats in their final four allowed Tottenham to stay up at their expense.
A statement said: "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."
The former Forest boss took over at the London Stadium on September 27, the same day former boss Graham Potter was sacked, with the team 19th in the league.
He won just two of his first 16 in the league, culminating in the 2-1 defeat at home to Forest in January that left them seven points adrift and seemingly doomed, but their form thereafter suggested a corner had been turned.
They hauled themselves out of the bottom three for the first time since December when they beat Wolves 4-0 on April 10, but the damage inflicted in May by successive losses to Brentford, Arsenal and Newcastle meant victory on the final day came too late to save themselves.
The club said: "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."
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Nuno won the Championship with Wolves in his only previous season in the division in 2017/18.