Jimmy Walker is impressed with West Ham current goalkeeping situation
Jimmy Walker has been left impressed by how West Ham have strengthened their goalkeeping department this summer ahead of the new season.
The Hammers have signed Paris Saint-Germain goalie Alphonse Areola on a season-long loan, while Scotland youth international Brian Kinnear has signed a deal after impressing on trial.
The Rangers academy graduate, 20, is expected to feature for the youth teams, but Walker says he has been impressed by him already.
“This group looks to be the best group since then (2004-2009),” the former West Ham goalkeeper told Sunday Mirror.
“Lukasz Fabianski has been brilliant. He’s a top-five goalkeeper, but he’s 36, and when you get older things start to give way on you a bit, and he showed a few signs of that last season.
“All in all, he was fantastic and when he played well, he was excellent – you have to have a top keeper to finish sixth. So he won’t give up that No. 1 spot that easily and Areola will have to fight to get the jersey.
“If Areola gets in, you can’t see him being dislodged. Darren Randolph is capable and I’m impressed by Kinnear.”
Tough competition
Kinnear was released by Scottish Premiership champions Rangers after his contract expired, and the Hammers offered him the chance to impress on a trial.
English Championship outfit Birmingham City were also keen on signing the youngster too, but West Ham were the ones that snapped him up.
We have not seen him in action yet and he did not even get to make his first-team debut for Steven Gerrard’s men, but Walker surely has seen something in him to have been blown away.
With Fabianski, Areola and Randolph all fighting for playing opportunities next term and David Martin still around, though, Kinnear could struggle to get a game.
Nevertheless, he is one for the future and would definitely get better going forward.
He has the potential to become the first choice in the future, and we will be keeping tabs on his situation.
It is safe to say the Hammers currently boast of one of the best goalkeeping departments in the Premier League right now.
If every other position has such quality depth, we are definitely going to give the top-four a realistic shot.
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