West Ham have confirmed that Nuno Espirito Santo stays as head coach for the 2026-27 Championship season, as the club target an immediate Premier League return after relegation was sealed on 26 May despite a 3-0 home win over Leeds United.

Relegation ended a 14-year stay in the Premier League and was confirmed by Tottenham’s victory over Everton. Nuno met senior decision-makers on 27 May, with both sides holding clauses allowing a clean break after demotion, yet both chose to continue the partnership.

Planning for life in the second tier began as the final whistle blew against Leeds United, according to a West Ham statement. The club stressed aligned ambitions with Nuno and gave a clear message about what is expected in 2026-27, with promotion framed as a non-negotiable objective.

The Board said: “We held meetings with head coach Nuno Espirito Santo early this week and are pleased to confirm that he has expressed his continued commitment to the clubas we have to him. Nuno made it very clear that he is highly motivated for the challenge of guiding West Ham United back to the top-flight at the first time of asking. That must be the unquestionable goal for next season.”

West Ham ended the campaign two points behind Spurs, collecting 39 points, the highest total for a relegated team since Birmingham City and Blackpool also went down with 39 points in 2010-11. West Ham’s final four fixtures produced one win and three defeats, after a run with only one loss in six.

The Board reflected on the wider picture, stating: “While the ultimate outcome on Sunday was a painful one, the Board of Directors believe that there have been broader signs of improvement and progress in recent months, and we want Nuno to continue developing that progress.” The club highlighted trends beyond the league table.

From Nuno’s first game on 29 September, West Ham would have finished 16th on 36 points, with a record of nine wins, nine draws and 15 defeats. West Ham calculated that 25 points from the last 17 league matches produced 1.47 points per game, a level the club linked to a projected 7th-place finish across a full season.

The statement continued: “A total of 25 points taken from our final 17 Premier League matches equated to 1.47 points per gamea ratio that would have resulted in a 7th place finish across the total season, the statement added. Furthermore, we feel the clear improvement in squad mentality and togetherness since January, leading to that upturn in performances and results, makes him the right man to lead us forward.”

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Nuno’s contract runs for three years after replacing Graham Potter in September, and both West Ham and the Portuguese coach held relegation break clauses that have now been set aside. Nuno has one prior Championship campaign, winning the 2017-18 title with Wolverhampton Wanderers after collecting 99 points and securing automatic promotion.