West Ham United have sacked head coach Nuno Espirito Santo with immediate effect, the club confirmed in a statement on Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
The decision reopens the door for Edson Álvarez at the London club.
Álvarez, the Mexico captain, had been frozen out under Nuno all season.
What West Ham Announced
West Ham said a thorough review of the start to the EFL Championship season led the board to decide that a change was necessary.
Assistant head coach Rui Pedro Silva and goalkeeper coach Rui Barbosa have also left the club.
West Ham sit eighth in the Championship after successive home defeats to Southampton and West Bromwich Albion.
The 3-1 loss to West Bromwich Albion on Saturday was Nuno’s final match in charge.
Mark Noble, Steve Potts and Gerard Prenderville will take temporary charge for the trip to Cardiff City on Wednesday.
The club said the process of recruiting a new head coach is already underway.
The club said it will make no further comment until an appointment is confirmed.
A Frozen Out Season for Álvarez
Álvarez has played just 75 official minutes for West Ham this season.
All of them came on August 8, in a 3-1 Carabao Cup win over Portsmouth at London Stadium.
He has not played a single minute in the Championship.
He has also been left out of matchday squads for long stretches since that cup appearance.
Álvarez returned to West Ham in the summer after a loan spell at Fenerbahçe.
The Turkish club did not take up its option to make the move permanent.
His West Ham contract runs until 2028.
What the Change Means for Álvarez
A new head coach means a fresh decision on Álvarez.
But the coach who left him out of his league plans is now gone.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Scott Parker has agreed terms to become the new head coach, with a contract set to be signed.
The Athletic has also reported that Parker will succeed Nuno.
West Ham have not confirmed Parker’s appointment.
Until the club does, his arrival stays a report, not a fact.
January Talk and the Mexico Stakes
The coaching change also lands in the middle of January exit talk.
TUDN reporter Gibran Araige reported last week that Álvarez’s representatives are already looking for a way out in January.
Spanish daily AS has reported that Valencia are considering a January loan move for the midfielder.
Those reports were written while Nuno was still in charge.
Mexico face Jamaica in the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals this month.
The first leg is in Kingston on November 14.
The second leg is in Monterrey on November 17.
Rafael Márquez is due to name his squad for the tie in the coming days.
Álvarez captained Mexico at the World Cup in the summer.
He goes into that announcement with almost no club rhythm behind him.
For now, the sacking gives Álvarez a route back that did not exist under Nuno.
