West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo is planning to hand an exciting young player his first team debut at the London Stadium this season, according to a new report.
This comes in the aftermath of their 3-2 comeback win over Burnley at the London Stadium last Saturday – a clash which gifted Nuno two straight wins and the perfect sign-off before this November international break.
The Hammers have now won consecutive Premier League games despite conceding the first goal each time, having also beaten Newcastle 3-1 the weekend prior. It also marks West Ham’s first back-to-back home wins since October 2024, suggesting the dark clouds could be starting to lift after a torrid opening to the campaign.
With six goals in their last two games – having scored just seven in their previous nine – West Ham’s attack is finally clicking into gear. Crucially, Nuno has settled on a midfield he can trust, naming an unchanged lineup in his last two after criticism for questionable tinkering during his opening four matches.
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West Ham’s results in the Premier League so far |
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Sunderland 3-0 West Ham |
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West Ham 1-5 Chelsea |
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Nottingham Forest 0-3 West Ham |
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West Ham 0-3 Tottenham |
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West Ham 1-2 Crystal Palace |
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Everton 1-1 West Ham |
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Arsenal 2-0 West Ham |
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West Ham 0-2 Brentford |
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Leeds 2-1 West Ham |
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West Ham 3-1 Newcastle |
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West Ham 3-2 Burnley |
Academy graduate Freddie Potts has become a fan favourite, if he wasn’t already, and could be working his way into becoming an undroppable after convincing performances alongside Lucas Paqueta in the engine room.
The partnership is providing much-needed stability, with striker Callum Wilson also repaying Nuno’s faith after two straight starts, despite credible reports the Englishman wasn’t fancied by Nuno at first (ExWHUemployee).
Nuno reserved special praise for Tomas Soucek as well, who scored West Ham’s third and ultimately decisive goal of the game on his 250th appearance for the east Londoners.
“I’ve played Tomas, I’ve played West Ham, many times and every time I was analysing it, it was a nightmare,” said Nuno.
“How do you control Thomas getting in the box. He recognises the space and he has belief that not many players have. So good.
“He’s just made 250 appearances for the club, it’s huge. You cannot have anything else but respect and love for Tomas.”
The 30-year-old won’t be around forever, though, and with his contract expiring in 2027, West Ham could already have an heir apparent in the form of youngster Mohamadou Kante.
Nuno plans senior debut for Mohamadou Kante at West Ham
West Ham agreed a deal to sign Kante from Paris FC last year and the 20-year-old gem spent the rest of 2024/2025 back out on loan in the French capital, with Kante since returning to Rush Green and plying his trade in the club’s academy for the Under-21s.
Kante is yet to make his first-team debut for West Ham, but according to journalist Pete O’Rourke, this is about to change.
The French ‘rising star’ is wanted by multiple sides in January, with numerous Championship clubs already enquiring about Kante and prepared to sign him either on loan or permanently.
Writing for Football Insider, O’Rourke states that Kante is “expected” to get minutes in the West Ham senior team soon and is “close to a first-team breakthrough” after impressing in the academy lately — so it remains to be seen whether the club will green-light a mid-season exit for him.
The midfielder, who’s notched three goals and two assists in 10 academy appearances this term, scored a cracker most recently against Liverpool’s Under-21s — rounding off a superb 3-0 win for West Ham as Kante looks to turn Nuno’s head.
West Ham could have yet another Potts situation on their hands with Kante, and he’s been given chances to impress in first-team training by Nuno lately.
“With the pros, it’s a different environment, it’s a higher level. There are some very high-calibre players, so I’ll have to raise my game. I’ve only just discovered some of the players, so I think it will take a little time to adapt,” Kante told the club’s official website.
“But in any case, I’m very happy, and I hope it will continue and that I’ll get stronger as quickly as possible.”
