Alphonse Areola will now consider his options regarding his future at West Ham after Lukasz Fabianski signed a new one-year deal according to club insiders Claret & Hugh.
The 28-year-old joined the Hammers on a season-long loan from Paris Saint-Germain during the summer transfer window.
West Ham are believed to have an £11 million purchase option on the Frenchman (Wyn Foot).
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David Moyes has kept Lukasz Fabianski as the Hammers’ number one goalkeeper since Areola rocked up at the London Stadium though.
The 6ft 5in stopper has had to make do with just nine appearances so far this season and none of those have come in the Premier League.
Areola has conceded just five goals during those outings and has kept six clean sheets in the process (Transfermarkt). The 28-year-old has really impressed when he has played for West Ham and there isn’t much more that he can do in order to force his way into the starting XI for Premier League games.
As a result, Fabianski’s new deal has given Areola a big decision to make…
Areola faces uncertain future after West Ham hand Fabianski new deal
The Polish goalkeeper, 36, will be at the London Stadium for another season.
And Claret and Hugh reckon that Areola is now considering his options as a result.
If he is to hang around at West Ham, he will need to be given assurances by Moyes that he will be the club’s number one goalkeeper next season, with Fabianski reverting back to number two.
Fabianski has been a very dependable goalkeeper for the Hammers since moving to the London Stadium from Swansea City in the summer of 2018.
It is clear to see that Areola is on another level to the 36-year-old, however.
The Frenchman is more aerially commanding, has better agility and reflexes and his distribution is far better than Fabianski’s.
Surely Moyes must make the call to promote Areola as the number one goalkeeper sooner rather than later. It would be such a shame to miss out on signing him permanently just because Fab has been handed a one-year contract extension.
Areola is a top-class goalkeeper and he could be between the stick for the Hammers for the next eight years at least. Hopefully Moyes sees sense. Fabianski is a great player to keep around for a little while longer…but not to the detriment of Alphonse Areola.
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