Nuno urged to “get rid” of two players “immediately” if West Ham are relegated

West Ham boss Nuno Espírito Santo has been told to ‘immediately’ get rid of two players if the east Londoners are relegated from the Premier League.

West Ham fate now out of their hands after Brentford defeat

There was a brief, intoxicating spell in late April when West Ham’s survival looked well within their grasp.

Statement wins over Everton and Wolves had closed the gap to the teams above them, the London Stadium had found its voice again, and Nuno was daring to talk about momentum.

For a good amount of time, the Hammers looked like favourites to beat the drop and simultaneously send London rivals Tottenham down to the Championship — such was the state of the Lilywhites, who waited months for their first league win for 2026.

However, things have now drastically turned.

Saturday’s 3-0 thrashing at Brentford was as comprehensive as the scoreline suggests, a performance that stripped away whatever confidence had been built and left West Ham staring at their own vulnerability once more.

A Konstantinos Mavropanos own goal opened the scoring, before Igor Thiago converted from the spot after Malick Diouf’s reckless sliding challenge on Dango Ouattara, and Mikkel Damsgaard wrapped it up with eight minutes to play.

West Ham hit the woodwork three times and had chances of their own — Crysencio Summerville smashed the bar, Caoimhin Kelleher made a stunning early save — but were ultimately outclassed by a Brentford side that had something to play for too, pushing hard for European football.

Brentford have now won eight of their last 10 Premier League meetings with West Ham, a record that reflects a deeply troubling pattern for the east London club.

More pressing than history, however, is the present reality.

West Ham sit 18th with three games remaining, and crucially, their fate is now out of their hands.

Tottenham, who beat a weakened Aston Villa team 2-1, moved a point clear of Nuno’s side, meaning the Hammers cannot rely on their own results alone.

They face Arsenal away this weekend before Newcastle and Leeds — a sequence that will define their season.

There is room for positivity though, considering just how much West Ham have noticeably improved since the turn of 2026, and there is a palpable team spirit which Nuno has done so well to nurture.

That being said, the Irons will need to be at their very best to put pressure on Spurs, and if not, the Championship beckons.

Nuno urged to “get rid” of two West Ham players if they’re relegated

Into that precarious backdrop, a deeply sobering assessment has emerged from within the walls of the club itself.

A West Ham insider, speaking to Claret and Hugh, has laid out in stark terms what relegation would look like, and the picture is genuinely alarming for supporters.

Bowen is believed to be ready to stay at West Ham if they stay up, but a host of other top stars could join him out the door in the event of relegation.

As well as this, the insider urged Nuno to ‘immediately’ sell Taty and Pablo.

The use of the word “immediately” regarding Taty and Pablo is telling.

The implication is not simply that the pair would attract interest, but that the club would need to move decisively to shift them, suggesting their wage structures and valuations could prove very problematic.

The combined impact of losing Bowen, Summerville, Todibo, Soucek and Wan-Bissaka in a single window would be nothing short of devastating — a wholesale dismantling of the squad that Nuno has spent all season trying to make competitive.

The club posted losses of £105 million last year, and the financial pressure of Championship football would accelerate what the insider describes as a fire sale of a magnitude not seen at the club since 2003, when Jermain Defoe, Joe Cole and Freddie Kanoute were among those to depart following relegation.

Nuno, whose contract is understood to contain a Premier League-only clause meaning he too would depart if the Hammers go down, has three games to save everything.