Aaron Ramsdale wanted by West Ham amid Alphonse Areola development
West Ham United have plenty of work to do in the summer transfer window and are now turning attention to the goalkeeping department.
Graham Potter has inherited a West Ham squad assembled in bizarre fashion last summer, with two of their seven first-team signings under the age of 25 and their veteran additions not making much impact.
While the contributions of Guido Rodriguez and Niclas Fullkrug have been negligable at best, Crysencio Summerville’s has been limited by injury and Brazilian teenager Luis Guilherme has hardly been seen.
With a huge summer of churn coming up as Potter looks to bring down the average age of his squad, few players or positions in the team are safe, and that includes West Ham’s veteran trio between the sticks.
West Ham want Aaron Ramsdale transfer after Areola interest
West Ham’s three goalkeeping options will have turned 40, 34 and 32 respectively by season’s end, and therefore it’s no surprise to see Potter and Kyle Macauley on the hunt for a new long-term stopper.
| Player | Appearances | Starts | Clean Sheets | Goals Conceded |
| Lukasz Fabianski | 16 | 15 | 4 | 27 |
| Alphonse Areola | 18 | 17 | 4 | 29 |
| Wes Foderingham | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Football Transfers reported on 18 March that soon-to-be-relegated Southampton keeper Aaron Ramsdale is top of their list in this area, with the England man set to move on at the end of the season.
Ramsdale only signed for Southampton last August for £25million and has also attracted interest from Chelsea, but with Alphonse Areola a target for Espanyol, the 26-year-old could be a natural replacement.
Ramsdale move surely not the priority in vital West Ham window
At 32, Areola is the youngest of West Ham’s three goalkeepers and six year’s Ramsdale’s senior, but the Frenchman has shown this term that he’s still capable of producing world-class saves for Potter’s side.
Espanyol, currently fighting relegation in La Liga and looking likely to return to the Segunda Division this season, certainly won’t be an appealing destination for a goalkeeper bang in-form for the Hammers.
However, with Ramsdale set to be up for grabs in the wake of Southampton’s impending relegation, West Ham could rue missing out on the opportunity to sign him for a potentially knock-down price.
Potter and Macauley have huge holes to fill in midfield and up front over any other position at the London Stadium this summer, but a punt on Ramsdale to beat the competition wouldn’t be the worst move.