West Ham United want Nuno Espirito Santo to remain in charge at the London Stadium club should they get relegated at the end of this season, according to the Telegraph.
A 3-0 defeat to Brentford on Saturday saw the Hammers drop into 18th in the Premier League table, with Tottenham Hotspur moving up after a 2-1 victory over Aston Villa yesterday.
West Ham are back in action on Sunday when they host leaders Arsenal, and they face Newcastle United and Leeds United in their final two games of the season.
The Hammers need to win those three games and hope Spurs drop enough points when they take on Leeds, Chelsea and Everton.
Securing safety is not a foregone conclusion for West Ham, but they are preparing for life in the Championship if it comes to that.
It is believed that Nuno’s future depends on whether he intends to continue at West Ham at the end of the season.
Either party can terminate his deal if the Irons do not stay up, and no compensation will be paid for the two years left to run on his deal.
The Portuguese has experience in the Championship with Wolverhampton Wanderers, leading them to Premier League promotion at the end of his debut campaign in 2017-18.
He kept them up until his departure in May 2021 and has since worked with Spurs and Nottingham Forest, leading the latter to top-flight safety on the final day of the 2023-24 campaign.
West Ham will hope he can help keep them up, but they are willing to have him remain and oversee a rebuild as they attempt an immediate return to the Premier League should they get relegated.
Another defeat on Sunday to Arsenal will push them closer to the second division, especially if Tottenham beat Leeds the next day.
They have to give their all against the Gunners as it could prove to be their biggest game of the season so far, and Nuno will hope his men turn up.