Nuno Espirito Santo replaces Graham Potter as West Ham head coach

West Ham have named former Nottingham Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo as their new head coach after sacking Graham Potter.

The Hammers relieved Potter of his duties on Saturday morning after a disappointing nine-month stint and quickly appointed Nuno as his replacement, following his own sacking by Forest earlier this season.

“I am very pleased to be here and very proud to be representing West Ham United,” Nuno said on the club official website.

“My objective is to work hard to get the very best from the team and ensure that we are as competitive as we possibly can be. The work has already started and I am looking forward to the challenge that is ahead.”

Former Spurs and Wolves boss Nuno has signed a three-year deal and replaces Potter, who was relieved of his duties just two days out from West Ham’s match against Everton.

The Hammers faithful turned on Potter during last weekend’s defeat to Crystal Palace and the club’s owners have acted, appointing a fourth manager during the last 18 months.

A statement from the club read: “West Ham United can confirm that Head Coach Graham Potter has left the Club.

“Results and performances over the course of the second half of last season and the start of the 2025/26 season have not matched expectations, and the Board of Directors believe that a change is necessary in order to help improve the team’s position in the Premier League as soon as possible.”

West Ham turned to Potter at the start of 2025 after Julen Lopetegui – the successor of long-serving boss David Moyes – lasted only 22 matches.

Lopetegui was sacked after heavy defeats to Liverpool and Manchester City, but won seven of his fixtures in charge – a slight improvement on Potter’s final record.

Potter accepted West Ham’s advances in January after he turned down multiple job proposals during a near two-year spell out of management following his dismissal by Chelsea.

After a chastening 31-game spell in west London, Potter travelled across the capital and whilst his West Ham debut ended in an FA Cup defeat at Aston Villa, a 3-2 home win over Fulham in his first league fixture provided the type of thrill which had been missing at London Stadium.

Three losses in four followed before a statement victory away to Arsenal proved a false dawn as the Hammers finished the campaign with only two wins from their last 11 league matches.

Potter would have banked on a strong summer to kickstart his reign, but the departure of Mohammed Kudus to rivals Tottenham for £55million heightened fans’ frustration.

The unrest of the West Ham supporters’ failed to ease after a flurry of signings during the final weeks of the transfer window coincided with heavy defeats to Sunderland and Chelsea in August.

A 3-0 win at Nottingham Forest last month provided some respite, but West Ham went down by the same score to Tottenham after the September international break and another London loss to Crystal Palace last weekend proved the final straw for Potter.

“I am incredibly disappointed to be leaving West Ham United Football Club, particularly without being able to achieve what we set out to achieve at the start of our journey in East London. I do however fully acknowledge that the results have just not been good enough up to now,” Potter said in a statement via the LMA.

“Firstly, thank you to the board for offering me the opportunity to manage the team during the past eight months. It was an honour and a privilege to manage such a historic club, which holds such strong values for footballing traditions and passion for the game.

“I’d like to thank all the staff at the club who made me feel so welcome, the playing squad and their continued efforts during my time – and lastly the fans, who have been so supportive during what has been a difficult journey at times.”