Real reason Nuno Espirito Santo looks happier than ever after joining West Ham

Nuno Espirito Santo has caught many by surprise by wearing a huge grin and jumping straight back into work at crisis-hit West Ham, but there’s a potentially exciting reason why.

Another rollercoaster week in the crazy world of West Ham United has ended with the sudden sacking of Graham Potter and immediate appointment of Nuno Espirito Santo as his replacement.

The fact Potter has been sacked by the Hammers is not a shock by any stretch, but the timing was.

Many expected the man who departs with West Ham’s all-time worst win ratio to be fired after the Palace defeat, as it gave any new manager nine full days to work with the team for Everton.

West Ham’s under-fire owners have been slammed for waiting until 48 hours out from the clash with the Toffees to act.

Especially after letting Potter take the pre-match press conference.

Nuno wanting West Ham job takes many by surprise

The two reasons West Ham sacked Potter so abruptly were revealed yesterday as Nuno arrived to try and do something neither Julen Lopetegui or Potter could manage, to turn a sinking ship around.

The Hammers have won just 17 of their last 62 Premier League matches since January 2024.

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Nuno will have to improve that drastically to keep the club in the top flight.

Taking away the emotion surrounding the resentment towards the board, on the face of it Nuno seems like a fine appointment in the circumstances.

West Ham are a big club – but they are becoming something of a poisoned chalice so attracting a manager with as good a recent track record as the Portuguese is something of a coup.

After his sacking by Nottingham Forest, Nuno would have had no shortage of offers when clubs across Europe started firing managers in the coming weeks and months.

It is the 51-year-old’s willingness to jump straight back into work at West Ham that has raised many eyebrows, though.

Paul Merson says he believes Nuno has ‘panicked’ in accepting the Hammers job ‘just to get back in’ to Premier League management.

West Ham also surprised many by handing him a three-year deal.

For context, David Sullivan only ever gave David Moyes two-year deals, Lopetegui had two years with an option for a third if he qualified for Europe and Potter was given two-and-a-half after rejecting a six-month contract.

Real reason Nuno looks happier than ever after joining West Ham

So giving Nuno three years stands out.

What has also stood out is the grin of a Cheshire cat on the former Wolves manager’s face as he was unveiled by the Hammers.

Nuno is known at his previous clubs for always wearing a very serious expression with a tendency to be dour in press conferences and interviews having gone on record to say he doesn’t enjoy them.

Ex Forest star Michael Dawson said on Sky Sports: “Look at that smile, I’ve never seen him smile like that, he must be happy.”

Former Hammers star Joe Cole said on TNT Sports: “He must have got a good deal with that big smile on his face. I’ve never seen him smile like that. It’s great for him, it’s fantastic for him. I think West Ham have got the right man in for this mini crisis that they’re in.”

But the real reason Nuno looks happier than ever after joining West Ham could be potentially exciting.

Journalist Alan Nixon was the first to reveal West Ham’s interest in Nuno after the 3-0 defeat to Spurs two weeks ago.

As well as tying up the legalities of his Forest settlement, the reporter revealed there were two potential snags to West Ham appointing Nuno that Sullivan would have to make peace with.

The first being Nuno’s demands to bring in a sizeable backroom staff.

West Ham will face Everton on Monday night with the Portuguese leading the team alongside the club’s Academy coaches while his backroom team is finalised.

The second – and undoubtedly most important – was Nuno’s demands to have a big say on all signings alongside his super agent Jorge Mendes.

There is perhaps no football agent on earth with a more impressive client list than Mendes.

He helped Wolves sign a host of quality players who would otherwise be well out of their reach.

Nuno gets Mendes wish over West Ham recruitment

Mendes’ influence at Wolves is often criticised but it essentially helped the club establish themselves in the Premier League particularly under Nuno, who led them into Europe.

The likes of Lamine Yamal, Vitinha, Joao Neves, Bradley Barcola and virtually every top Portuguese player are under Mendes’ Gestifute agency.

Clearly none of those will be winging their way to east London anytime soon.

But delve deeper into the list and there could be some very interesting times ahead when it comes to recruitment.

Because Kyle Macaulay is set to follow Potter and his backroom staff out of the London Stadium exit.

That is because Nuno, alongside Mendes, will be having their say on West Ham’s transfers.

The big fallout at Forest between Nuno and Evangelos Marinakis centred around the fact Edu was brought in to control transfers.

Nuno wanted to be the one picking the players, with the help of Mendes, but Marinakis hired Edu from Arsenal instead – leading to a parting of the ways.

Hammers News understands Nuno has got what he wants – hence his desire to jump straight back in at the deep end with troubled West Ham.

Sources say he will now assess the squad over the next three months before deciding what players he needs and wants in January.

Then it is over to the owners whether they back his and Mendes’ picks with the funds.

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