Lukasz Fabianski will outlast Julen Lopetegui at West Ham for one key reason
West Ham United must offer Lukasz Fabianski a new contract this season regardless of Julen Lopetegui’s job security.
Roshane Thomas reported in The Athletic (17 December) that when the January transfer window opens, the keeper is eligible to talk to overseas clubs as he enters the final six months of his deal.
Fabianski displaced Alphonse Areola eight games ago due to his poor form and has staked his claim between the sticks despite further inconsistency leaving Lopetegui’s future in doubt.
Lukasz Fabiański contract decision key for West Ham
While the Hammers may currently be on an uptick in form to relieve some of the pressure on Lopetegui, the Spaniard is still yet to really convince and had Fabianski to thank for sealing a point at Bournemouth.
Lopetegui has been tipped time and time again to lose his job – and still could in the coming weeks – but whoever replaces him in the London Stadium dugout will have a decision to make in the goalmouth.
Having replaced David Moyes with an eye on bringing about a more passing-focused style of play, it’s likely the Irons’ hierarchy would continue down this train of thought if Lopetegui is indeed sacked.
Fabianski has shown that both as a shot-stopper and a ball-playing goalkeeper, he’s streets ahead of Areola on current form, making the de facto number one for any new manager who comes in.
That emphasises the need for a decision on Fabianski’s future in East London, and having arguably kept Lopetegui in a job, the 39-year-old is surely more deserving of contractual security than his under-fire manager.
In other West Ham news, the Irons are preparing a bid to sign a “prized” Championship striker in the January transfer window.
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