West Ham are in talks to sign the 23-year-old, who has been dubbed the next Gareth Bale
Nuno Espirito Santo will remain as head coach of West Ham following relegation from the Premier League after good talks with the club’s management.
Meetings to decide Nuno’s future were held last week, a day after a 3-0 win over Leeds was not enough to prevent relegation, although he was expected to leave.
The Hammers enjoyed a turnaround between January and April, taking 22 points from 13 games to lift themselves out of the relegation zone, seemingly buried after defeat by Nottingham Forest on January 6.
However, three defeats in their last four allowed Tottenham to keep paying their dues.
The statement said: “We held meetings with coach Nuno Espirito Santo earlier this week and we are pleased to confirm that he has expressed his commitment to the Club – as we have done to him.
“Nuno has made it clear that he is very serious about the challenge of guiding West Ham United back to the top flight at the first time of asking. That must be an unquestionable goal for next season. Nuno has spent the last one year in the EFL Championship and it has been a huge success as he scored 99 points to win the title with Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2018.
“Although Sunday’s result was disappointing, the board of directors believes there have been broad signs of improvement and progress over the past months, and we want Nuno to continue building on that progress.”
The Hammers are expected to lose several key players in the summer transfer window and will need to reshape their squad to give Nuno the best chance of a direct return.
West Ham are planning a summer move to sign the 23-goal Championship striker
The Hammers are in scoring position.
And their first signing could be one of Scotland’s rising stars, according to reporter Ben Jacobs.
West Ham are making inquiries about the Hibs star
Indeed, Jacobs reports that the Irons have sent an inquiry into Hibernian midfielder Josh Mulligan.
The 23-year-old joined Hibs from Dundee FC last summer and has been a fixture at the club, making 21 starts in the Scottish Premiership before an ankle injury disrupted his season.
“It is understood that West Ham have made an initial inquiry regarding Hibernian midfielder Josh Mulligan,” Jacobs said.
“There is no request yet as West Ham will decide on the exit first. The midfielder has recently returned from an ankle injury but he is attracting England.”
Mulligan is known for his athleticism and physical strength, and can play anywhere in midfield or as a full-back.
During a loan spell at Peterhead as a teenager, senior teammate Simon Ferry even compared his explosiveness to that of former Tottenham and Real Madrid star Gareth Bale.
“I don’t want to put pressure on him but we have a loan boy from Dundee, Josh Mulligan.
“Dundee will miss him in January. He’s a Rolls-Royce like Gareth Bale – strong, tough, direct.
“He is a machine at that age. He wants to learn, he listens to you.”
Mulligan scored once and provided five assists in Scotland’s top flight last season.
