West Ham's Nuno Espirito Santo Calls for More Offensive Power

West Ham boss Nuno Espirito Santo has warned that his rebuilt side still lack firepower, even after smashing the Championship transfer record to land Celtic midfielder Arne Engels for £22m.

The 20-year-old becomes West Ham’s fourth signing since relegation from the Premier League, joining Brighton defender Joel Veltman, Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Manor Solomon and Keiber Lamadrid, whose loan from Deportivo La Guaira was made permanent after January.

Yet Nuno’s message, delivered in the wake of a 2-2 draw at Burnley in their Championship opener, was blunt: this squad is not finished.

“We need players, especially in the offensive part of the team,” he said, frustration clear after West Ham let a 2-0 lead slip at Turf Moor.

The collapse underlined exactly what he has been warning about – a lack of depth and cutting edge when the game turns.

He has tried to be creative. “We have young lads, we have options of double full-back, like we did in the last game and in this game,” he explained. Those tweaks have carried them this far. But Nuno is adamant that improvisation cannot be the long-term plan.

“We need more bodies in the offensive part of the team.”

Engels is expected to be central to that evolution. At Celtic, he delivered 17 goals and 22 assists in 100 appearances, numbers that convinced West Ham to invest heavily despite their second-tier status.

“He’s a very good player,” Nuno said. “I think he’ll help us a lot in the middle of the park, where we have two young players.”

The idea is clear: give the team a more mature, composed axis in midfield, someone who can both create and finish, and take the strain off the youngsters.

There is also the looming return of Tomas Soucek, another piece of the puzzle Nuno is counting on. “We have Tomas too. When he returns, I think we’ll have more options and be stronger in the middle of the park.”

Behind the scenes, the pace is relentless. “There’s a lot of activity,” Nuno admitted. “The club knows the targets and the needs of the team. We’re working very hard and trying to get the bodies in as soon as possible.”

The record signing of Engels sends a clear signal of intent. Nuno wants more than a promotion push built on grit alone; he wants a side that can dominate games, not just survive them. The question now is whether West Ham can land the extra attacking pieces he craves before the window closes – and before more leads like Burnley slip away.