West Ham ready to take huge loss on mainstay who’s ‘failed to impress Nuno’

West Ham are willing to take a significant financial hit by selling a mainstay player who hasn’t done enough to impress Nuno Espírito Santo, according to a new report.

West Ham enjoy mini Nuno revival ahead of Aston Villa clash

West Ham supporters have witnessed encouraging signs of recovery under Nuno, with the Hammers suffering just one defeat across their previous six fixtures as they prepare to face Aston Villa on Saturday afternoon.

The Portuguese’s impact has gradually manifested following a nightmare start that saw West Ham collect merely four points from nine Premier League matches.

Recent performances suggest Nuno has successfully identified solutions, with his side demonstrating renewed resilience.

Their latest outing saw them salvage a dramatic 1-1 draw at Brighton on Sunday, with Jarrod Bowen’s exceptional sliding finish almost securing all three points before Georginio Rutter’s controversial stoppage-time equaliser denied them.

Prior to that, West Ham fought back to claim a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford against Man United, with Soungoutou Magassa’s late intervention sending the travelling contingent into raptures.

The mini-revival includes other positive results against Newcastle, Burnley and Bournemouth, with only the 2-0 home defeat to Liverpool interrupting their momentum.

That defeat was largely self-inflicted, as Lucas Paqueta received a bizarre red card for dissent that arguably cost them the game.

Saturday’s clash at home to Aston Villa represents another significant test. Unai Emery’s side currently sit third, just three points behind Arsenal following their recent victory over the Gunners, and some suggest they could well be outside title challengers.

Villa are also on a formidable run of form, winning seven of their last seven games in all competitions, with Emery’s last defeat coming at the very start of November.

Related

West Ham ‘set to sign’ prolific Tottenham starlet as Mark Noble seals ‘coup’ of a deal

The Hammers sporting director played a key transfer role.

It is a tall order for West Ham to upset the applecart, especially with Villa buoyed by their dramatic weekend win over the league leaders, so they’ll need every man at their very best.

That includes £40 million defender Max Kilman, who’s attracted criticism this season.

West Ham ready to take huge loss on Max Kilman

However, according to club insider Claret & Hugh, the Englishman might not be relied upon for very long.

It is believed that West Ham are willing to green-light Kilman’s departure for £25 million in January, representing a substantial £15 million loss on their record defensive acquisition signed just 18 months ago.

The 28-year-old arrived from Wolves last year as part of Julen Lopetegui’s extensive recruitment drive that witnessed ten players secured for £145 million.

However, few acquisitions from that recruitment spree have justified their substantial price tags.

Recent speculation linking Kilman with Crystal Palace has been dismissed by C&H sources close to the London Stadium hierarchy as fabricated transfer gossip.

Nevertheless, insiders have also confirmed that West Ham would immediately accept any legitimate £25m proposal, highlighting their eagerness to recoup finances on the struggling defender.

Kilman featured regularly under both Lopetegui and Graham Potter, establishing himself as an ever-present selection despite underwhelming performances.

The same can be said under Nuno, with the centre-back starting 13 out of West Ham’s 14 league matches this season and playing the third-most minutes out of any player in their squad.

However, Kilman has apparently ‘failed to impress’ Nuno in that time, and reports suggest that West Ham are in the market for a new centre-back next month.

Toulouse defender Charlie Cresswell, who was ‘close’ to joining in the summer, is believed to a top target for the club in that regard (ExWHUemployee).