(Credit: Imago)

Jacob Raw

Thu 12 March 2026 14:10, UK

West Ham boss Nuno Espirito Santo is looking to win a legal dispute with his former side, Nottingham Forest.

David Sullivan moved quickly to bring the former Forest boss to the London Stadium following the departure of Graham Potter, as things have been looking up for the Hammers since.

But Nuno’s own exit from the City Ground was publicly documented after his fallout with Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis.

Legal issues are now arising as the West Ham boss has reportedly instructed his lawyers to take a dispute to his former employers over compensation issues regarding what was a new contract at Nottingham Forest.

Nuno is on a healthy wage at the London Stadium, but could be set for a big cash influx, should he win this legal dispute.

Kieran Maguire suggests Nuno could win legal dispute vs Nottingham Forest

West Ham have their own financial worries, and they will hope that their head coach’s own personal matters don’t intervene with his day-to-day influence on the squad. Thankfully, that’s where his lawyers come into play.

Nuno had just signed a new long-term deal with Forest in June of 2025, and his sack in September has sparked issues around compensation and contractual terms.

• It’s believed that Nuno had a £10m salary over a three-year deal with Forest
• He was in charge of the Reds for 21 months

While speaking on The Price of Football podcast, finance expert Kieran Maguire explained the matter, suggesting Nuno could even win the battle if he has success similar to what Antonio Conte previously had against Chelsea.

Maguire said: “Both parties want to have clarity, but it looks as if we’re going to have to go down more of a confrontational route, which nobody wins from.

“Sometimes the managers win this, and Conte previously won a dispute with Chelsea for around £12million, so we are talking about substantial sums of money that could be involved here.”

These types of disputes can drag on for a while, but there’s a good chance that Nuno will have his full focus on doing a job for the Hammers until the end of the season, where he can then give his full attention to this matter.

How Nuno seems to be in right headspace for West Ham

The specific numbers of what Nuno could win should this dispute develop further are yet to be confirmed; however, it’s likely to be a lot, as suggested by Maguire.

Naturally, it would be easy to get carried away, but the West Ham boss seems to have his head screwed on to what really matters for the Hammers.

The recent trajectory of the Hammers suggests that they will avoid relegation should their form continue.

The Irons have won seven of their last 11 games in all competitions, with Nuno fully behind what could be a remarkable comeback in E20.