West Ham picked up an important point at The Hill Dickinson Stadium on Monday night, in Nuno Espirito Santo’s first game in charge of West Ham.
The Hammers showed much needed defensive improvements, limiting Everton to 0.73 xG and keeping David Moyes’ side quiet for large portions of the game.
The likes of Crysencio Summerville, El Hadji Malick Diouf and Soungoutou Magassa all impressed in what looked a far more organised performance from the Hammers.
A talking point before a ball had been kicked, however, was Nuno’s decision to leave James Ward-Prowse out of the squad.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Nuno revealed he had spoken to Ward-Prowse before the game: “We had a chat, I think he understands.”
It has been reported that Ward-Prowse could return to Southampton in January, with it clear the midfielder is not a part of Nuno’s plans at West Ham.
The 30-year-old joined the Hammers from the Saints in 2023 for £30million, but with recent form dipping for the England international, a move back to St Mary’s could well be on the cards.
Hammers after Serie A superstar
According to TuttoSport via Parma Live, West Ham are interested in signing Parma striker Mateo Pellegrino.
The 23-year-old has started the 2025/26 season strongly, scoring five goals in seven games in all competitions.
The Argentine has been on the radar of multiple European clubs in the early stages of the season, including the likes of Atletico Madrid, Villarreal, Spurs and Nottingham Forest.
Nuno currently only has Callum Wilson and Niclas Fullkrug at his disposal as recognised centre-forwards, and with both in their 30s, signing a younger striker will most likely be a priority for the 51-year-old.
West Ham may have some difficulty signing the player in January, however, with Parma keen to keep hold of their front man until the end of the season after having rejected a €15 million plus offer over the summer.
The Portuguese coach will firstly have to steady the ship at West Ham in his first few months in charge but will undoubtedly be thinking about potential recruits in the January transfer window.
