- West Ham United are in the Premier League relegation zone with three matches remaining
- Nuno Espírito Santo future is uncertain
- Two La Liga managers are on the market this summer
West Ham United will have a decision to make with their management in the coming summer.
The Hammers are currently in the Premier League relegation zone, one point from Tottenham Hotspur in safety, with three matches remaining. Head coach Nuno Espírito Santo signed a three-year contract in September 2025, but recent reports suggest that his future is far from certain.
Regardless of West Ham’s end-of-season status, one can imagine that the board will be weighing up their options, and potentially testing their chance in the open market.
Here are just some of the managers that could pose as realistic options to lead the next hopeful phase of West Ham.
The former West Ham players
However West Ham finishes this season, the likelihood is that the club will have to give supporters something to be inspired by. In football, there are not many, if any, decisions that pull on a fan’s heartstrings quite like the return of a former player to the dugout. It ticks a lot of boxes, including the all-important nostalgia one that reminds those of better days.
So, why not two options that satisfy the two possible outcomes that the Hammers could face. If relegated, the club will need a safe pair of hands that can guide them out of the Championship with little fuss. In the last five seasons, Scott Parker has promoted three different teams on three occasions: Fulham via the playoffs in 2020, Bournemouth in 2022 and recently Burnley in 2025.
Of course, Parker’s detractors will point to his failures once he gets those teams up – never keeping his job in the Premier League. However, the former FWA Footballer of the Year simply has a knack for navigating the second tier that should at very least be considered if the scenario requires it.
Parker’s former England teammate and managerial peer, Michael Carrick, has managed to be seen in the opposite light. The Irons’ academy graduate was dismissed by Middlesbrough last year, but has flipped the perception of his credentials by securing Champions League qualification with Manchester United as an interim coach.
Carrick, like Parker, evokes a sentimental recollection amongst the fanbase that would be appreciated. It’s also why he will feature heavily in the manager process at Old Trafford after bringing some of the feel-good factor back to Manchester. It will take survival to convince the 44-year-old to make the 22-year return to East London, and even then, it might be too late.
The two Spanish free agents
An amenable option for West Ham’s higher-ups can be the free market. Given the reported financial issues the club could face even with survival and the potential finances needed to relieve Santo from his current deal, managers with the attachment of a club pose as attractive.
In the past week, two big-name managers in Spain announced their departures. For Villarreal, who secured a top-four finish in La Liga, Marcelino will vacate his post at the end of the season.
The 60-year-old was reportedly only offered a one-year extension to his contract in January, but the decline means he will walk away after three years. Marcelino’s direct, fast-paced football has reignited former Premier League duo Nicolas Pépé and Ayoze Pérez, and he may be tempted by the chance to manage in England for the first time. The same can be for José Bordalás.
According to Spainsh reports, the Getafe coach is said to have hit his limit during a successful second stint and has declined an extension until 2028 because of the cumulative stress. When his contract expires in June, he will be free to sign with another team. Crystal Palace has shown interest in the past.
If the allure of London is what the pragmatic Bordalás is after, East London and he could go hand in hand.
The wild-card option
The aforementioned names with a well-known resume that has been cultivated over a sustained period of time at a certain level or club. This option has managed at the academy level, the Scottish top flight, the Premier League, and recently the Saudi Pro League.
Steven Gerrard continues to balance the weird flux between former player and current manager, despite boasting nearly a decade’s worth of experience in the latter area. Of course, the Liverpudlian’s achievements as a player are yet to stack up in the dugout, but with an unbeaten Scottish Premiership title to his name with Rangers, his abilities warrant some merit.
Whether Gerrard is eager to get back into the management game is unclear after being dismissed at Aston Villa and recently Al-Ettifaq and turning down the opportunity to return to Rangers last October, is unclear.
Gerrard’s name has been bandied about for the recent opening at Burnley, but it would surely be too alluring to turn down the chance to prosper his coaching credentials with West Ham, especially in the Championship where replicating the achievements of his great playing rival, Frank Lampard with Coventry City, could be a big feather in his cap.
