West Ham United manager Nuno Espirito Santo has made plain that the club's summer recruitment drive is far from finished, insisting the squad requires more firepower in the offensive areas of the pitch despite landing their fourth summer signing of the window.

Engels arrives but Nuno wants more

Former Celtic midfielder Arne Engels joined the club at the weekend in a deal understood to be worth £22 million, a figure that represents a record transfer fee for the Championship. Engels, who scored 17 goals and contributed 22 assists across 100 appearances for Celtic, is expected to operate centrally and add creativity and output from midfield.

Yet speaking after West Ham's 2-2 draw at Burnley on the opening day of the Championship season, their first second-tier fixture in more than 14 years, Nuno was candid about what still needs to happen before the transfer window closes.

"We need players, especially in the offensive part of the team," Nuno said. "We have young lads, we have options of double full-back, like we did in the last game and in this game, but we need more bodies in the offensive part of the team."

Four signed, more targeted

Engels is the fourth arrival at the London Stadium since the club's relegation from the top flight. He follows Brighton defender Joel Veltman, Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Manor Solomon, and the permanent capture of Keiber Lamadrid, whose loan deal from Deportivo La Guaira was made permanent after an initial temporary stint in the second half of last season.

The four signings represent a significant outlay and signal genuine intent from the ownership to mount a promotion challenge. However, according to Nuno's own assessment, the squad as it currently stands is still light in the areas that will ultimately determine whether West Ham can sustain a push for automatic promotion or at least a play-off place.

Engels and a midfield in transition

Nuno struck an optimistic note about Engels specifically, describing the Belgian as a player who "will help us a lot in the middle of the park." The manager also referenced the return of Tomas Soucek from injury as a further boost to the club's central options.

"We have Tomas too," Nuno added. "When he returns, I think we'll have more options and be stronger in the middle of the park."

The caveat, though, is that Engels was signed primarily as a midfield operator rather than a forward, and Nuno's comments suggest the club's remaining business this summer will be concentrated further up the pitch. Whether that means a striker, a creative number ten, or wide attacking reinforcements has not been specified publicly, but the manager's message to the board appears clear.

A point from a dramatic opener

The context for those remarks was a frustrating Championship debut at Turf Moor. West Ham led 2-0 before being pegged back to 2-2 by Burnley, a result that underlined both the promise within the squad and the fragility Nuno is trying to address. The second tier will offer few nights as comfortable as a two-goal lead suggests, and the manager clearly believes more quality in attack is necessary to convert those positions into wins as the campaign develops.

"There's a lot of activity," Nuno said. "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."

With the window still open, West Ham supporters will be hoping the manager's public pressure translates into further arrivals sooner rather than later.

Frequently asked

How much did West Ham pay for Arne Engels?
West Ham are understood to have paid £22 million for Arne Engels from Celtic, a figure reported as a record transfer fee in the Championship.
Who has West Ham signed since relegation?
West Ham have made four signings: Joel Veltman from Brighton, Manor Solomon from Tottenham Hotspur, the permanent capture of Keiber Lamadrid, and Arne Engels from Celtic.
What did Nuno say about West Ham's transfer plans?
Nuno Espirito Santo said West Ham need more players "in the offensive part of the team" and that the club is working hard to bring in further signings before the transfer window closes.