With the transfer window closing next Tuesday, Nuno Espírito Santo has reiterated that West Ham's rebuild is far from finished, telling reporters the club will bring in further reinforcements before the deadline, and the scale of what's being planned is bigger than many fans might expect after a slow summer. Despite the club emphasising retaining "key players" at the start of the window, more than 10 squad members have left, with more expecting to leave before Tuesday.
West Ham have just agreed to sell left-back El Hadji Malick Diouf to Brentford in a deal worth an initial £35 million, rising to £40m with add-ons. The sale has effectively added a fifth position to an already crowded shopping list. Multiple reports have indicated Nuno and director of recruitment Nils Koppen are now working to complete five further signings before deadline day: a new left-back to replace Diouf, another winger, a central midfielder, a centre-back, and, ideally, a second forward on top of the business already done this summer. It's an ambitious target for a club that has averaged roughly one signing every two weeks so far this window. Getting five deals over the line in the space of days would represent a real change of pace.
Nuno has been consistent in recent press conferences about what he needs from the closing days of the window, even as he's been careful not to name specific targets. "We don't have much time, but we don't want to make mistakes," he said when discussing incomings earlier in the window. "It's crucial the players who come in are right, so we are taking our time to make sure we get it right. We identify the targets, we know the profiles and the names, so we let the club do their jobs."
He's also been clear about what he doesn't want to see. "The transfer window is open, and there's always the factor of surprise. We don't want to get surprises in the last days." Taken together with the club's confirmed pursuit of five further additions, the message from the manager is unambiguous: there's more business to come, and it needs to happen fast.
What's Left to Fix
The priority list lines up closely with what's been evident on the pitch. A left-back is now essential following Diouf's exit, with Ollie Scarles yet to convince that he can hold down the position alone. Wing depth remains a live need even after Manor Solomon's arrival, given his injury history. A defensive midfielder becomes increasingly important given the uncertainty still surrounding Edson Álvarez and Soungoutou Magassa. The club also confirmed the departure of James Ward-Prowse today. A centre-back to partner Konstantinos Mavropanos is a priority after Axel Disasi's move to Crystal Palace. And a second forward would round out a group already featuring Taty Castellanos, Joel Piroe and Pablo Felipe, with academy product Josh Ajala's breakout brace against Southampton adding a further option Nuno clearly trusts.
Whatever happens, West Ham are working against a hard deadline now, and Nuno's comments make clear the club is treating these closing days as a genuine opportunity to complete the squad rather than simply managing outgoings. Whether five deals are realistic in the time remaining is another question entirely, but the intent, at least, has been made public.
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