Nice problem for Nuno as last minute signing comes good | West Ham News

It seemed as if there had been something of a known flaw in West Ham United’s summer business as the days counted down to deadline day in September.

Nuno and head of recruitment Nils Koppen left it until the very last minute before confirming the loan of not one, but two defenders – having waved off first choice centre back Axel Disasi and flogged off first choice left back El Hadji-Malick Diouf. In came left back Adama Boiro and centre back Morato – finally – to give the Hammers some cover should their first choice players break down.

Whilst the jury is very much out on Boiro , who evidently can’t catch Nuno’s eye in training, the signing of Morato – who played with Nuno at Nottingham Forest before the manager’s famed walk out – is increasingly looking inspired.

At the time the whufc.com web site foretold of the relationship between the two, yet few observers would realise the impact a Nottingham Forest Centre Back loanee could have on their season:

“The 25-year-old defender joins having already built a relationship with Nuno Espírito Santo during their time together at the City Ground, where Morato featured 28 times and appeared in all nine of Forest’s clean sheet victories in the Premier League during the 2024/25 season.”

Few West Ham fans would have expected the Brazilian to become a crucial cog in West Ham’s defence at left back. He’s not the fastest – indeed even on Saturday, seeing his first struggled effort to keep pace with Swansea’s pacy winger Moussa Yeo there was a worry that he’d be done for pace all afternoon- yet Morato used his nous and tactical astuteness to keep the Swansea winger at bay and pretty quiet until his substitution by the Swans after 75 minutes.

Little known at the start of the season was West Ham’s option to turn Morato’s transfer into a permanent one if promotion is secured – at present still undecided but looking a pretty inspired deal by Nuno and Koppen.

Where that leaves loanee left back Adama Boiro and West Ham youngster Ollie Scarles is less clear – neither will likely get a look-in if Morato continues as he’s started – but that’s a price worth paying for a transfer window deadline day success story.