West Ham Boss Nuno Major Driver Behind Hammers Swoop | OneFootball

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West Ham United boss Nuno Espirito Santo was a driving force behind the Hammers’ swoop for Joel Piroe from Leeds United, according to Hammers insider ExWHUemployee.

Even with Taty Castellanos and Pablo already on the books as strikers, the Hammers have been intent on adding another forward to furnish their Championship campaign with further firepower.

The east London outfit looked at a number of options in attack, with Monaco’s George Ilenikhena and Sunderland hitman Wilson Isidor among the options considered.

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Former Tottenham Hotspur star Troy Parrott was another name they seriously pursued, although that avenue eventually petered out after no agreement could be reached with AZ Alkmaar.

West Ham then moved decisively to seal the deal for Piroe, who was firmly out of favour at Elland Road under Daniel Farke.

The 27-year-old’s switch to West Ham has been structured as an initial loan, with the move carrying the potential to become permanent should the Hammers return to the Premier League.

Leeds will bank another £8m if West Ham sign Piroe permanently.

It has now been revealed that Nuno was a major player in Piroe’s move to east London, with the Portuguese boss becoming ‘very keen’ to get the deal over the line once he became available.

The striker was instrumental in Leeds’ 2024/25 Championship promotion campaign and Nuno will hope he can rekindle that influence in West Ham colours this season.

The Dutchman found game time hard to come by in Yorkshire last season, with the Hammers now offering him an opportunity to raise his stock once again.

For the Hammers, they will be confident they are landing a proven goalscorer at Championship level and, with getting out of the division quickly key, that is their main concern.

If West Ham do go up, they will like Leeds need to assess if Piroe can score regularly at Premier League level.

Meanwhile, West Ham have seen movement in the opposite direction within their striking ranks, with Niklas Fullkrug having made his way back to Werder Bremen.

Castellanos could likewise be heading towards the London Stadium exit before the window closes, with the possibility of a return to Serie A having emerged, although nothing concrete has materialised on that front.