Nuno Espirito Santo admitted that returning to the Premier League is the team's most important mission at present.

With the 2025/26 season concluded, Nuno Espirito Santo and his coaching staff have shifted their focus to the future. West Ham United are actively planning and preparing for the 2026/27 season, with the entire club united in their goal of returning to the Premier League as quickly as possible.  

Shortly after West Ham United's relegation, the club's management held talks with Nuno Espirito Santo and decided that he would remain as manager. For the Portuguese coach, this was not only a commitment but also a demonstration of his confidence in leading the team back to the Premier League. It's worth noting that Nuno led Wolverhampton Wanderers to a dominant 99-point Championship title in the 2017/18 season, giving him extensive experience in achieving promotion.  

Despite ultimately failing to avoid relegation, West Ham United showed a clear rebound in the second half of the season, securing 25 points from their final 17 games. Nuno Espirito Santo believes this performance proves the team is on the right track and has laid the foundation for future development. He also believes that fan support will be a significant boost to the team's promotion bid.  

Nuno Espirito Santo said: "Our mission is very clear, which is to return to the Premier League. Everyone at the club must work together towards this goal, and we must achieve it."  

“Now we need to focus all our energy on our work. I’m happy to stay here and prepare for the new season. Of course, there have been many discussions and questions over the past few months, but most importantly, we must face reality. Relegation is disappointing for everyone, so we need time to accept the result. However, both I and the board have always believed that we should continue to move forward in the established direction. I am very grateful for the trust the club has placed in me and look forward to continuing our work.”  

Since the end of the season, Nuno Espirito Santo and his coaching staff have remained at the Rushgreen training ground, actively preparing for the team's regrouping in early July, while also making overall plans for the schedule and challenges of the next ten months.  

Nuno Espirito Santo stated, "Our current task is to ensure that everything is ready when the players return to the training ground on their first day. This is a crucial period for us to establish workflows, clarify our development direction, improve infrastructure, and fine-tune details. We must ensure that every player can quickly get into form and get to work when they return to Rashgreen."  

“I think the team has made significant progress in many aspects, both in terms of playing style and overall competitiveness. But what I feel most directly is the atmosphere at the London Stadium. The support and energy from the fans is amazing, and we can definitely feel some positive changes taking place.”  

"We always hoped to repay the fans' support with our performance. It's a pity that we ultimately failed to avoid relegation, which we must accept. However, the competitive attitude and spirit shown by the team will be an important foundation for moving forward in the future."  

“Everyone on the team is moving forward with the same commitment and sense of responsibility. We bear the responsibility of returning to the Premier League, and at the same time, we have an obligation to repay the fans for their support. Currently, many players have begun preparing for the new challenges, which is a very positive sign for us, and we look forward to the start of the new season.”  

Image source: Internet/West Ham United official website