Benfica manager Bruno Lage suggested that he wanted to sign West Ham goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski back in January when speaking to reporters yesterday, as quoted by Portuguese media outlet O Jogo.
The 34-year-old, who earns £65,000 per week with the Hammers according to Spotrac, moved to the London Stadium from Swansea City for around £7 million in the summer of 2018 (BBC).
And the Polish stopper has been brilliant for West Ham ever since. Arguably the best signing that Manuel Pellegrini made during his 18-month tenure in charge of the club.
He has kept 12 clean sheets in 50 games for the Hammers, conceding 70 goals in the process (Transfermarkt). That doesn’t tell the whole story, however. Fabianski has saved his team on a plethora of occasions over the past 18 months.
His displays have obviously not gone unnoticed on the continent either.
Benfica boss Bruno Lage admitted that he wanted to sign the West Ham veteran in January, as quoted by O Jogo:
“It was goalkeeper Fabianski. That’s what we’ve been considering, the criterion of looking at the great players. And, apart from injuries, he’s been one of the best in his league and in his team.”
Selling Fabianski would have been a real kamikaze move from the Hammers.
He is arguably their most important player right now. West Ham got a glimpse of what it would be like without the 34-year-old when he missed around three months of action earlier this season. And it wasn’t good.
Goalkeepers nowadays can remain at their best up into their late 30’s, so Fabianski still has plenty of years left ahead of him playing at the very highest level.
And West Ham fans will be delighted that the Pole was not sold in January.
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