West Ham United have sacked head coach, Nuno Espirito Santo, following a disappointing start to their Championship campaign, with the club reportedly in advanced talks with former Burnley manager Scott Parker as his replacement.
The 52-year-old leaves after taking charge in September 2025 and failing to prevent the Hammers’ relegation from the Premier League last season.
West Ham, who were widely regarded as favourites for automatic promotion, are currently eighth in the Championship table, six points behind leaders Middlesbrough.
They have won only two of their last six matches and suffered consecutive home defeats, losing 3-2 to Southampton before going down 3-1 to West Bromwich Albion on Saturday.
The club confirmed Nuno’s departure in a statement, saying the board had decided a change was necessary after reviewing the team’s performances.
“Following a thorough review of the start to the EFL Championship season, the board of directors believe that a change is necessary at this time in order to ensure that the club’s objectives and expectations remain on track,” the statement read.
Assistant head coach Rui Pedro Silva and goalkeeper coach Rui Barbosa have also left the club.
West Ham added that the process of recruiting a new head coach was already under way.
Former England midfielder Parker has emerged as the leading candidate. He spent four seasons as a player at West Ham and has managerial experience in the Championship, having guided Bournemouth and Burnley to promotion.
Mark Noble, Steve Potts and Gerard Prenderville will take temporary charge of the team for Wednesday’s Championship trip to Cardiff City.
Nuno’s departure means West Ham are searching for their fourth permanent manager since David Moyes left the club in May 2024.
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Julen Lopetegui succeeded Moyes but was dismissed after six months, with the Hammers having won six of their first 20 Premier League matches under him.
Graham Potter replaced Lopetegui but lasted only eight months before being sacked with the club 19th in the table.
West Ham retained Nuno despite their relegation last season, having finished two points behind Tottenham Hotspur.
The Portuguese initially appeared to have turned the team’s fortunes around this season after a difficult opening, with four consecutive wins in September taking them to the top of the Championship.
That run included a 6-0 victory over Wrexham, but the Hammers have struggled to maintain their form, recording only two further league wins since then.
Their recent defeats to Southampton and West Brom saw them drop from second to eighth in the table, increasing pressure on Nuno and prompting the board to make a change.
Parker would inherit a squad assembled with the expectation of an immediate return to the Premier League.
West Ham raised about £150m from player sales during the summer following relegation, with Mateus Fernandes, Crysencio Summerville, El Hadji Malick Diouf, James Ward-Prowse and Freddie Potts among those who departed.
The club reinvested part of the proceeds, including a reported £22m move for midfielder Arne Engels from Celtic and a £12m deal for Norwegian winger Edvin Austbo.
Experienced players Joel Veltman and Manor Solomon also joined on free transfers, while the Hammers retained key figures such as England winger Jarrod Bowen, Czech midfielder Tomas Soucek and Greek defender Konstantinos Mavropanos.
Soucek missed the first two months of the campaign through an ankle injury, while some of the new arrivals have yet to make a significant impact.
Engels has registered three assists without scoring in 12 matches, while Austbo has two goals and two assists despite starting only two league games.
Parker’s experience of securing promotion from the Championship could prove important as West Ham seek to revive their campaign and meet the expectation of an immediate return to the top flight.
