West Ham United’s return to the Championship has not gone to plan so far, with Nuno Espirito Santo already coming under increasing pressure at the London Stadium.

The Hammers are still searching for their first league win of the campaign after taking just two points from their opening three games, drawing with Burnley and Watford either side of a 2-1 home defeat to Charlton Athletic.

They have also failed to keep a clean sheet in any of those Championship fixtures, conceding five goals in total, which has only added to concerns over their defensive solidity.

Supporters made their frustration clear following the 1-1 draw at Watford, with some chants aimed at Nuno, who admitted afterwards that results needed to improve.

That perhaps explains why defensive reinforcements remain on the agenda before the transfer deadline.

West Ham in talks to sign Morato

According to Alex Crook, West Ham have now opened discussions with Nottingham Forest over a late move for centre-back Morato.

The two clubs are discussing a potential loan deal for the Brazilian, who had previously been attracting interest from Roma.

The 25-year-old is a player Nuno knows particularly well. Morato joined Forest from Benfica in 2024 during Nuno’s time in charge at the City Ground and was regularly used as an alternative to Murillo and Nikola Milenkovic in defence.

While he was not always a regular starter, he earned strong praise from the current West Ham boss, who said Morato’s individual displays had consistently been “very good”, praising his focus, determination and work on the training ground.

West Ham’s interest in another centre-back comes as Jean-Clair Todibo closes in on a departure.

The France international is set to join Lens on loan after an agreement was reached with the Ligue 1 side, with a deal not including an option to buy. His exit would leave another gap in Nuno’s defensive options at a time when the Hammers are already struggling to keep opponents out.

Morato could therefore effectively replace Todibo in the squad as the Hammers look for an immediate return to the Premier League. Naturally left-footed and physically imposing, Morato would give West Ham another option to build out from the back while providing an aerial presence.

The Hammers have shown they can score, finding the net in all three of their Championship games so far, but they need to begin to shut teams out on a regular basis, and by the looks of it, Nuno feels Morato can help do just that, making this one to watch.