West Ham are on the verge of agreeing an exit for one first-team player, with an ‘ironic’ move to Championship side Leicester City emerging as a genuine possibility.
Nuno under immense pressure amid West Ham slide
The pressure mounting on Nuno Espírito Santo has reached critical levels following Tuesday’s loss against his former employers.
The Portuguese admitted frankly that a seven-point gap represents a huge deficit for the Hammers to overcome, refusing to deny the mounting speculation surrounding his future despite insisting that his focus remains on the coming fixtures.
West Ham’s relegation nightmare intensified following their devastating 2-1 loss to Nottingham Forest at the London Stadium, with Morgan Gibbs-White’s 89th minute penalty delivering a hammer blow that has left Nuno’s side miles from safety.
The defeat means West Ham have now gone 10 straight Premier League games without a single win, and reports suggest that the squad aren’t entirely happy with Nuno right now.
As per The Guardian’s Jacob Steinberg today, the mood around Rush Green is low, and chairman David Sullivan is having doubts over Nuno’s tenure.
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Some within West Ham believe the club should have sacked him after their dismal 3-0 defeat to Wolves at Molineux, but Sullivan and the under-fire board face having to hand out their third managerial pay-out in just 12 months.
West Ham have responded to their desperate situation by splashing £45 million on strikers Pablo Felipe and Valentin Castellanos in the opening days of January, with both players making their debuts in Tuesday’s defeat.
Both players were reported requests of Nuno himself, making it bizarre how a club that holds serious question marks over their manager continues to back him financially regardless.
The double signing has also created an immediate knock-on effect throughout the squad, with players suddenly surplus to requirements.
Callum Wilson close to West Ham exit with Leicester City move on the cards
One of those affected is summer signing Callum Wilson, who was at one point West Ham’s most reliable striker with four goals in seven league appearances from late August to November.
The former Newcastle United star has been in talks to mutually terminate his rumoured pay-as-you-play contract and leave for free this month, with insider ExWHUemployee sharing an update on the matter today.
Writing via his Patreon and The West Ham Way, the reliable Irons source reports that Wilson is now on the verge of his London Stadium exit, and he could make an ‘ironic’ move to Leicester after Michail Antonio’s injury.
“We have also heard that Callum Wilson could also be soon to complete his move out of the club,” said the insider.
“Leicester City showing an interest ironically after the collapse due to injury on their move for Michail Antonio.”
Despite the uproar surrounding his arrival, Wilson has stayed relatively injury free since his move to east London, contributing in some vital moments as well.
The 33-year-old’s signing was always a low-risk bargain option from Sullivan’s perspective after his St. James’ Park departure last summer, but the arrival of Taty and Pablo means he’s now Nuno’s third-choice striker.
Wilson clearly wants to play, and the best move for all parties is now finding him a transfer where he can showcase his very best once again.
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