What now for West Ham United following their Premier League demise?

A number of players will leave, with prized assets Jarrod Bowen and Crysencio Summerville set to attract huge interest from rival clubs, and Nuno Espirito Santo’s position will also come under scrutiny.

Here, DAZN News reporter Ross Heppenstall analyses the challenges facing the Hammers as they prepare for their first season in the Championship since 2011-12.

A sleepwalk towards oblivion

West Ham have finished where they deserved to finish – in the relegation places.

Yes, they went into the final-day visit of Leeds United with a slither of hope that they could leapfrog rivals Tottenham Hotspur into 17th spot and survive.

But that was always going to be a long shot and, over the course of the 38 games, the Hammers have not been anywhere near good enough.

• Read next | West Ham captain Jarrod Bowen describes pain of relegation: 'Hurt is the only thing'

They made a dreadful start to the season and Graham Potter was axed in September after just nine months in charge.

In came Nuno, who initially struggled to get a tune out of West Ham’s squad, collecting one point from his first four games.

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Successive home wins against Newcastle and Burnley encouraged hopes of a revival, but proved a false dawn.

They failed to win any of their next 10 Premier League games and began 2026 with a humiliating 3-0 thumping at rock-bottom Wolves before losing at home to Nottingham Forest in their next game.

With Nuno’s position increasingly precarious, he orchestrated a mini-revival which saw the Hammers win three times in four games heading into February.

During the run-in, successive home wins against Wolves and Everton fired hopes of survival before three straight defeats against Brentford, Arsenal and Newcastle left them needing a final-day miracle to stay up - a miracle that never came.

Who will stay and who will go?

West Ham reported a loss of £104.2m in their last set of accounts and player sales look inevitable now they are no longer a Premier League club.

Many Hammers fans would gladly see the back of a good percentage of the side who have just got their club relegated.

And it is fair to say that a fair number of players will look to jump ship for pastures new in what could be a major summer clear-out, although homegrown talent Freddie Potts and stalwart Tomas Soucek could stick around to lead the rebuild. 

Summerville and Bowen will not want to play in the Championship and both will fancy their chances of securing a move elsewhere.

The likes of Mateus Fernandes and Konstantinos Mavropanos would also command decent fees as the Hammers look to come to terms with the cold, harsh reality of life in the second tier.

Attendances at the London Stadium look set to take a significant hit as the likes of Lincoln City, Swansea and Stoke come to town – although there will be two grudge derbies against old adversaries Millwall to look forward to.

Is Nuno the man for the Championship?

The Portuguese has carried himself with dignity since arriving to replace Potter last September.

But, having presided over the club’s relegation, has he done enough to suggest he deserves to stay and try and get them back up?

Well, a quick glance at his record in the Championship should give the West Ham hierarchy plenty to ponder.

Nuno became head coach of Wolves in May 2017 and built a side which many pundits hailed as one of the best to be assembled in England’s second division.

They were promoted as champions in 2017-18 with 99 points, so the 52-year-old certainly has pedigree at Championship level.

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Boardroom issues a cause for concern

There have been protests against the West Ham board from supporters for quite some time now.

Before the 3-2 home win against Burnley in November, thousands of Hammers fans marched through Stratford with a coffin and hearse, protesting about the running of the club.

Last month, Baroness Karren Brady has stepped down as West Ham vice-chair after 16 years.

The businesswoman, who was appointed in January 2010 by then joint-chairs David Sullivan and David Gold, left on April 15.

Brady and co-owner Sullivan have been the target of supporters’ ire this season, with on-field performances and dissatisfaction with the stadium among their complaints.

As the Hammers face up to the dismal prospect of life in the Championship, a desire for change is stirring.

West Ham

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