The Hammers are six points adrift of Premier League safety with only 14 games remaining this term and were cruelly beaten 3-2 by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge last weekend.
West Ham had taken a two-goal lead in West London, through first-half goals from Jarrod Bowen and Crysencio Summerville, but were pegged back by Joao Pedro and Marc Cucurella after the break.
Then, in stoppage time at the end of the second half, Enzo Fernandez delivered a blow to the Hammers' survival hopes, scoring Chelsea's third, and the decisive goal of the game.
Nuno Espirito Santo will leave West Ham empty-handed if club are relegated
West Ham could not wrestle back an equaliser and left Stamford Bridge empty-handed as a result, leaving them in their current predicament.
According to a new report from The Athletic, the Hammers will save themselves a chunk of change if they decide to part company with manager Nuno Espirito Santo following relegation.
"A clause in [Nuno's] deal means that the 52-year-old would not receive a pay-off should he be jettisoned if the club suffer demotion to the second tier, according to sources briefed on the matter," the report states.
This goes against standard practice in mainstream football management with coaches typically in receipt of large pay-offs when their contracts are terminated.
It has previously been reported that West Ham's playing squad will be subject to mandatory wage reduction clauses in the event the team drop into the Championship next season.
This is a measure in place to protect the club against financial ruin and employed by many other teams in similar positions.
For Nuno, he will need little added motivation for saving West Ham from the drop given the recent contract revelation, although he is likely being paid handsomely in the interim and could be in line for a lucrative survival bonus.
In FourFourTwo's view, Nuno taking the West Ham job knowing he will not be due a severance payment in the event of relegation speaks to the manager's belief in his abilities to save the Hammers.
The Portuguese coach could have turned down the West Ham hierarchy's proposal had he deemed the clause in question to be unsatisfactory, but clearly has not, which in some circles, could be seen as an admirable move.
