Fulham aim to hijack West Ham deal for Alphonse Areola
Fulham are aiming to hijack a deal for goalkeeper Alphonse Areola, but West Ham are more likely to sign him, according to Claret and Hugh.
The Daily Mail reported on 9 June that Newcastle have joined the race to sign the Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper who spent the last season on loan at the London Stadium.
Fabrizio Romano, the Sky Sports Italy journalist, wrote on his personal Twitter account on May 31 that the Irons are prepared to pay the French international’s £7.6million buy-out clause in the loan deal they agreed from Paris Saint-Germain last summer.
However, it seems the Cottagers are also in the race for Areola. But the Hammers are expected to wrap up the deal for the player whom David Moyes wants as the first-choice keeper at the club next season.
His wages are a big problem at the moment, but the Hammers are looking to negotiate them down.
Sensible move
The Sun reported on 9 June that Marco Silva is to close finalising a deal for Lazio shot-stopper Thomas Strakosha on a free transfer.
It comes as a real surprise that Fulham are still in the race for Areola. The Cottagers signing a new keeper should effectively rule them out of the race.
Newcastle could be the ones to watch out for. The Magpies have the funds to agree personal terms with the player, and they could be in a better position to hijack the deal than Fulham.
For Areola, it makes sense to continue at West Ham after his heroics in the Europa League last season.
It is highly likely that Areola will keep in goal in the Premier League next season, should he decide to move to West Ham permanently.
This is going to be a massive transfer window for the Hammers, with David Moyes needing to sign as many as six to seven players to bolster the squad.
In other West Ham news, a deal is on the cards to sign a forward who Moyes once compared to Wayne Rooney.
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