A penny for Graham Potter’s thoughts as a goalkeeper West Ham United tried to sign during his final few weeks in charge produced one of the oddest performances of the 2026 World Cup.
Before Mads Hermansen joined the Hammers from Leicester City last summer, Parma’s Zion Suzuki emerged as one of the shot-stoppers near the top of the club’s shortlist.
Hammers News even reported at the time that West Ham had held discussions with Suzuki’s representatives. Parma wanted a minimum of £30 million, however. West Ham United would later complete the signing of Hermansen for £10 million less.
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Whether Suzuki would have been a better use of funds is, in truth, difficult to work out. A topsy-turvy campaign for the New Jersey-born Japan number one was summed up really during a 1-1 draw between the four-time Asian Cup champions and Graham Potter’s Sweden in Dallas.
West Ham United held talks with Japan international Zion Suzuki
Sweden would secure their spot in the round of 32 with a point. Not that anybody told Anthony Elanga.
The Newcastle forward slammed his fist into the turf at one point, presuming that his side were on their way home. Not so. In fact, it was Elanga’s curling effort in the second half which secured Sweden a place among the ‘best third-place’ teams.
“That explains a few things then,” Potter laughed after seeing Elanga’s fury turn to relief; the Sweden boss a much lighter, more carefree figure than West Ham fans were used to. “He’s obviously thinking about something else, bless him.
“I love him at the moment but, dear me…”
Was Suzuki at fault for Elanga’s equaliser? We really could have done with Joe Hart – the BBC’s resident goalkeeping expert – on hand here. As Elanga whipped his cross/shot towards the far post, Suzuki took an age to react before seeing the ball zip past him.
Maybe he was unsighted. Maybe he expected someone to get a touch in the middle. Either way, it didn’t look great.
If indeed the former Manchester United target was at fault, he would make amends soon after though.
Suzuki pushed aside an Alexander Isak curler as Sweden slammed their foot onto the accelerator. He denied Elanga a second from close range and then reacted superbly to keep out Isak again at the near post.
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Graham Potter wanted a goalkeeper who could pass as well as save, and this is certainly an area of the game where Suzuki excels. He attempted 64 passes across Japan’s three group stage games, completing 70 per cent of them.
Suzuki bounces back as Sweden and Japan go through in the World Cup
Unfortunately, as was the case during an injury-hit, occasionally error-ridden season in Serie A, questions still hang over a goalkeeper who has an unfortunate penchant for looking a little static at times.
“Instead of dwelling on the goal we conceded, I cleared my mind, and from there,” Suzuki told Gekisaka, explaining how he bounced back from his questionable role in that Elanga equaliser.
“I think I was able to maintain my concentration until the end and prevent it. I feel like I’m growing in every match. Compared to the first match, I think I was able to contribute more to the build-up in today’s game.”
Suzuki will have to be at his sharpest if Japan are to win a World Cup knockout game for the very first time against Carlo Ancelotti’s five-time champions – and the increasingly impressive – Brazil.
Potter, meanwhile, will have the unenviable task of trying to keep either Kylian Mbappe or Erling Haaland quiet, depending on who emerges victorious in the group decider between France and Norway.
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