West Ham United face £60m reality after new Nuno Espirito Santo sack developments
Nuno Espirito Santo is on very thin ice at West Ham United already, and he may be running out of time at the London Stadium.
Nuno is facing increasing pressure at E20, and David Sullivan could pull the trigger on the 51-year-old just months after appointing him as Graham Potter’s successor.
West Ham are fighting to retain their Premier League status, but as things stand, the Hammers are sitting 18th, with five points between themselves and Nottingham Forest, who are in 17th.
There have been protests at the London Stadium this season, with supporters demanding the resignation of Sullivan and Karren Brady, but the pair are still calling the shots for the Irons.
The West Ham hierarchy will soon have to decide on whether to stick with Nuno or not, as they face another £60million reality.
£60m issue at heart of Nuno sack decision
There have been suggestions that West Ham could lose up to £60m if they are relegated this season.
The proposed financial hit means that Sullivan and Co. will have to take their next steps carefully on what to do with Nuno, as another managerial change will only make the situation worse.
Football finance expert Dan Plumley suggests that the West Ham board may have a major headache over their next steps.
| Games | Wins | Draws | Losses |
| 13 | 2 | 4 | 7 |
Speaking exclusively to West Ham Zone, Plumley detailed the potential losses and the conversation that the Hammers will have around the financial aspect of relegation before deciding on Nuno.
Plumley said: “The upshot of relegation is that it’s a £60m hit on revenue, you don’t get access to the TV money, you’ve got parachute payments, but you have to get out of the Championship as quickly as possible.
“With these protests, if you do get relegated, that’s when you need fans on board, and that could be a challenge and hit matchday revenue – you kind of get a double whammy.
“If West Ham are looking at changing the manager again after such a short space of time, the conversation would be driven by the financial side of staying in the Premier League.”
Judgement day is coming for Nuno
The busy festive period has not gone well for the Irons so far, as Nuno will hope for his side to bounce back against Brighton on Tuesday, who are winless in five.
The fixture against the Seagulls matches up as one of the harder upcoming games for the Hammers, with Wolves and Nottingham Forest following after.
Wolves are essentially down with Rob Edwards’ side still on two points, but Nuno’s fate could be decided after a crunch showdown against Forest.
The game takes place on 6 January at the London Stadium, and regardless of how either side’s next two fixtures go, the clash at E20 will alter the relegation picture.
A loss could see Nuno relieved of his duties, as Sullivan may have to bite the bullet on another big payout.
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