West Ham now making final checks on £15m “star” GK who’s open to the move
West Ham United are now making their final checks on a “star goalkeeper”, who is open to a move to the London Stadium this summer, according to journalist Alan Nixon.
Hammers keen on new goalkeeper after Areola disappoints
West Ham suffered a 2-1 defeat against Manchester United in their most recent pre-season friendly, and it would be fair to say that Alphonse Areola’s performance was extremely disappointing.
The Frenchman’s clumsy foul on Ayden Heaven gave Bruno Fernandes the opportunity to open the scoring from the penalty spot, with the Portugal international making no mistake, and the goalkeeper was arguably at fault for the second goal too.
The Daily Mail’s Dan Davis described the 32-year-old’s positioning as “atrocious”, while also adding that he ‘didn’t even move’ to try and prevent Fernandes adding a second, so it is little wonder that Graham Potter is keen to bring in a replacement.
Leicester City’s Mads Hermansen has been a target for quite some time, but there has also now been a suggestion the Hammers could make a move for a different Championship goalkeeper.
According to Nixon on Patreon (via Goodison News), West Ham are now making their final checks on Sheffield United goalkeeper Michael Cooper, who would be open to a move to the London Stadium, should regular game time be guaranteed.
A deal for Cooper would not break the bank, with Sheffield United set to hold out for a fee of around £15m, and the Hammers could have the edge over Premier League rivals Everton in the race for his signature.
The Toffees have made an approach for the 25-year-old, but he was not keen on a move to the Hill-Dickinson Stadium, perhaps due to the fact that he would be behind Jordan Pickford in the pecking order.
However, given Areola’s recent display, the Blades’ goalkeeper could be capable of pushing for a starting spot at the London Stadium, particularly considering the level of some of his performances last season…
Cooper now the Championship’s “star goalkeeper”
With Manchester City closing in on James Trafford, EFL pundit Ali Maxwell believes the Sheffield United shot-stopper is the best in the second tier, saying: “He’s the star goalkeeper in the Championship now James Trafford has gone. In fact, I would say that Trafford’s goalkeeping performance last season is the best that we’ve seen in the Championship, certainly for the last five years.
“But I would also say that Cooper’s performance last season was probably the second best that we’ve seen in the last five years.”
Of course, the Blades missed out on promotion to the Premier League in heartbreaking fashion, with Sunderland scoring a last-minute winner in the play-off final, but the Englishman performed remarkably throughout the campaign.
