Nuno Espirito Santo can fix West Ham’s set-piece woes with January move for £20m target
West Ham are gearing up for a crucial January transfer window, with Nuno Espirito Santo eyeing several key reinforcements.
Firstly, with Niclas Fullkrug set to leave West Ham, Nuno is in the market for a new centre-forward to challenge Callum Wilson or replace him in the starting lineup.
The Hammers have scored the sixth-fewest goals in the Premier League this term, with 15 in 13 matches, and it isn’t just in attack where they’ve encountered problems.
Only bottom side Wolves (28) have conceded more in 2025/26 than West Ham’s total of 27, and most of the goals they’ve shipped have come from set-piece situations.
West Ham target Tiago Gabriel can fix set-piece troubles
When Nuno replaced Graham Potter in September, many expected the former Nottingham Forest manager to improve their defensive performance.
Sadly, West Ham have continued to struggle with defending set-pieces and have conceded more than any other club from these situations this term.
| Premier League most set-piece goals conceded |
| West Ham – 10 |
| Liverpool – 9 |
| Nottingham Forest – 9 |
| Bournemouth – 9 |
| Leeds United – 7 |
In a bid to add more aerial prowess at the back, West Ham have been linked with Lecce defender Tiago Gabriel and have already seen a £15.8million bid rejected for the 20-year-old.
Standing at a colossus 6′ 4″, Gabriel would add incredible height and physicality to a weak Hammers defence and improve them tremendously.
As highlighted by FBref, the Portuguese powerhouse ranks in the top two per cent of defences across Europe for aerial duels won and top 13 per cent for tackles.
West Ham have arguably lacked a man-mountain at the back since Craig Dawson joined Wolves in January 2023, and Gabriel is someone who can fill that void.
Lecce could sell Gabriel for just £20m
In the past two summer transfer windows, the Hammers have splashed a combined £76m on Max Kilman and Jean-Clair Todibo, two defenders who haven’t lived up to expectations.
Remarkably, the Premier League side could sign Gabriel for half of what they paid for Kilman (£40m), and that would represent solid business.
That is according to the iPaper, who claim that Lecce value their prized asset at around £20m, with West Ham facing competition from Brentford and Juventus for his signature.
It is understood the Serie A side could be willing to cash in for a quick profit, after signing the youngster for just £1.5m in January 2025.
West Ham should certainly do everything in their power to capture the aerial monster, who would improve their biggest problem.
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