Stay up and you'll be rewarded. According to a source close to the West Ham United hierarchy, manager Nuno Espírito Santo is lined up for a significant reward should he guide the club to Premier League safety this season: a 60 million pound transfer budget for the summer window. The budget would allow the manager to recruit his targets.
"The board want to see Nuno succeed and they are planning on giving him a boost in the summer if West Ham are in position," the source said. "This would be his budget to spend of course all transfers would need to be approved, but the board is delighted with the way the January window is shaping up. All four players Nuno recruited are all contributing at a high level."
The revelation comes as West Ham enter the final stretch of the 2025/26 campaign locked in a tense relegation battle. As of mid-April 2026, the Hammers sit 17th in the Premier League table with 32 points from 32 matches, just above the drop zone. With a resounding win against Nuno's former club Wolverhampton on Friday, the squad look to be in the best form of the season. The 4-0 victory over Wolves, have lifted them temporarily out of the bottom three, but the outcome of the remaining fixtures remains critical.
Nuno, appointed in September 2025 following the sacking of Graham Potter, inherited a side in turmoil. The experienced Portuguese coach—previously at Wolves, Tottenham, and Nottingham Forest—has steadied the ship amid financial pressures and inconsistent form.
The source told GSH: “He has an understanding of where this squad should be and the players that will get us there. Taty, Pablo, Adama and Axel have not only helped West Ham win, but have come in and been great teammates and have made the fight their own in a very short time."
No doubt Nuno would use some of that budget to get Axel Disasi to permanently transfer from Chelsea. A number that seems to be increasing each week. The source wouldn't confirm either way. But the same may be said for Adama Traoré who will be available on a free transfer after the season. Several sources have reported that Nuno would like to move on from Alphonse Areola and bring in another long term solution at goal keeper. Additionally he'd like to sure up the striker position and add another midfielder.
Survival would be more than just a sporting triumph. Relegation has been widely projected to cost the club approximately £60 million (roughly $78 million) in immediate lost broadcasting revenue and related income, a blow the owners are desperate to avoid. Securing top-flight status would protect those finances and potentially unlock the rumored transfer war chest for Nuno to address squad weaknesses in defence, midfield, and attack. The source also confirmed that the reward does not reflect West Ham's total budget.
West Ham fans have endured a rollercoaster season, but recent signs of improvement under Nuno—including better organisation and key player contributions—have renewed hope at the London Stadium.
A club insider also confirmed that the budget would be “performance-linked,” reflecting the board’s confidence in Nuno’s methods if he achieves the primary objective of staying up. With six games left and rivals such as Nottingham Forest, Tottenham, and others also in the mix, every point counts.
West Ham owners have told fans that a Director of Football would be hired after the season and the source also confirmed Nuno's budget would be separte from anything they do with any new incoming staff. Whether this incentive materialises depends entirely on West Ham’s results between now and May. For Nuno, it represents the ultimate motivation: keep the Hammers in the Premier League, and earn the tools to transform them into a more competitive force next season.
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