Nuno Demands More Firepower After West Ham's Record Signing of Engels

West Ham United have smashed the Championship transfer record to land Celtic midfielder Arne Engels for £22m – and Nuno Espirito Santo’s first reaction was simple: he still wants more.

Engels becomes the fourth new face through the door since relegation from the Premier League, a statement signing for a club trying to punch its way back up at the first attempt. But a 2-2 draw at Burnley, after leading 2-0 on the opening day, underlined exactly why Nuno is pushing hard for extra attacking help.

“We need players, especially in the offensive part of the team,” the West Ham boss said after watching his side surrender control at Turf Moor. The lead slipped, the points did too, and Nuno’s message to the board could hardly have been clearer.

The club has been busy. Engels follows Brighton defender Joel Veltman, Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Manor Solomon and the permanent capture of Keiber Lamadrid, whose loan from Deportivo La Guaira was turned into a full deal in January. A new spine is taking shape. Nuno still sees gaps.

“We have young lads, we have options of double full-back, like we did in the last game and in this game,” he explained, referencing the tactical tweaks he has already been forced to lean on. “But we need more bodies in the offensive part of the team.”

Engels arrives with numbers that demand attention: 17 goals and 22 assists in 100 appearances for Celtic. Those are not the figures of a passenger. They are the numbers of a player expected to take responsibility in the final third.

Nuno clearly believes he has signed someone who can do exactly that. “He’s a very good player. I think he’ll help us a lot in the middle of the park, where we have two young players,” he said, pointing to a midfield that has been stretched since relegation.

There is also the looming return of Tomas Soucek, a familiar and reassuring presence in claret and blue. “We have Tomas too. When he returns, I think we’ll have more options and be stronger in the middle of the park,” Nuno added, hinting at a more balanced, more robust engine room once everyone is fit.

For now, though, the focus is on the market and the race against time. “There’s a lot of activity. 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,” Nuno said.

The record fee for Engels shows West Ham are prepared to back their manager. The question now is whether they can deliver the extra attacking edge he insists they still lack before the season’s promotion battle truly catches fire.