Nuno Eyes Free Agents as January Reshuffle Looms at West Ham | OneFootball

Following Graham Potter’s ill-fated 25-game spell at the London Stadium—despite having a full summer transfer window and pre-season to prepare—West Ham’s form never turned the corner in the way fans had hoped, especially after last season’s 14th-place Premier League finish.

To their credit, West Ham’s board moved relatively quickly (by their standards) to appoint recently sacked Nottingham Forest boss Nuno Espírito Santo in Potter’s place.

Having arrived at the end of September, Nuno had just two matches before the October international break hit, and the 51-year-old former Portuguese goalkeeper is still awaiting his first win and three points in charge.

Every Hammers fan will be hoping that the work done on the training ground starts paying off soon. For those who like a flutter, they’ll be watching the odds and choosing their sportsbook to keep tabs on how the market expects things to improve—or not—over the coming weeks.

January Moves and a Familiar Name Resurfaces

There is a growing sense of cautious optimism, not least because Nuno appears to have a clearer vision of how he wants West Ham to play. With early team selections already raising eyebrows—such as James Ward-Prowse falling out of contention—it’s clear that the manager is eager to reshape the squad in the January window.

Naturally, the rumour mill is already in full swing. In recent days, West Ham have been linked with Real Madrid striker Endrick on a potential loan, and Manchester United forward Joshua Zirkzee, who remains out of favour under Rúben Amorim.

Now, reports suggest Nuno may even dip into the free agent market—and one name being floated is Emmanuel Dennis, a player he knows well from his time at Nottingham Forest.

The 27-year-old Nigerian international joined Forest in the summer of 2022 for a reported £20 million but endured a disappointing spell—scoring just two goals in nine starts and 16 substitute appearances. He later went out on loan to İstanbul Başakşehir, Watford and Blackburn Rovers before being released in August.

It’s no secret that Dennis never truly gelled with Nuno at Forest, otherwise he might have featured more or remained at the club. However, his free agent status and brief working relationship with the manager make this rumour more credible than most.

That said, it feels unlikely West Ham would sign Dennis—even as a short-term stopgap—unless they were seriously hamstrung for options.

What’s arguably more telling is that Nuno appears willing to explore the free agent market, which could indicate a number of player departures after Christmas. If the club can move out a few names, it’ll create room (and potentially budget) to bring others in.