In the space of one dramatic Thursday afternoon, West Ham United agreed a deal to sign Leicester City goalkeeper Mads Hermansen while discussions surrounding Botafogo’s John Victor ran aground.
From an outside perspective, this must have been a saga which proved increasingly difficult to keep up with.
Did West Ham United want one goalkeeper or two? Was it a case of Mads Hermansen and John Victor – an £18 million number one and an £8.5 million back-up – or were the Dane and the Brazilian competing against each other with a single spot available in Graham Potter’s squad?
And, after Fabrizio Romano reported on Wednesday that West Ham had a verbal agreement with John Victor, just what happened over in Brazil some 24 hours later?
Some suggested that the 2024 Copa Libertadores and Brazilian Serie A champion had been left stranded at an airport waiting for a transfer which would never arrive.
Writing on Instagram later in the day, meanwhile, John Victor claimed that he ‘never said I wanted to leave’ in the first place.
Now, thanks to our chief football correspondent Graeme Bailey, Hammers News can shed a little more light on a strange tale.
Main reason for West Ham United’s aborted John Victor deal revealed
Hammers News have been informed that this was a deal negotiated through intermediaries.
And the figures being relayed by those intermediaries, it appears, were not what West Ham agreed to, with the Hammers and Botafogo both being given different sums.
That, Bailey says, is ‘where the deal mainly fell down’, rather than a case of the Londoners pulling out at the last minute.
It is certainly true that West Ham always preferred Mads Hermansen; the newly-appointed Casper Ankergren pushing for his arrival.
Hermansen’s impressive ball-playing talents appeal to Graham Potter. Lead first-team goalkeeper coach Ankergren described the Leicester goalkeeper as ‘amazing’ during their time together at Danish giants Brondby from 2021 to 2023, meanwhile.
Hermansen is expected to become West Ham’s fourth summer signing now to the tune of £18 million, joining El Hadji Malick Diouf, Kyle Walker-Peters and new number nine Callum Wilson.
John Victor happy to stay in Brazil with Botafogo
Leicester coach Marti Cifuentes did not confirm the move during his Friday press conference.
But, speaking ahead of this weekend’s Championship opener with Sheffield Wednesday, he did indicate that talks were indeed taking place ahead of a potentially imminent conclusion.
John Victor, meanwhile, appears happy enough to stay in Rio de Janeiro and help Botafogo retain their league and continental crowns.
“Today, I come to express my support to the Botafogo fans, who have supported me so much since the day I arrived here,” says the former Real Valladolid goalkeeper, who moved to the Estadio Olimpico Nilton Santos in January 2024.
“I did receive an offer to leave the club and pursue other dreams in my career. I thought about it with my family and needed a few days to talk to you. I’m human, and it’s normal to feel thoughtful at these times, but we chose to continue living Botafogo.
“I never said I wanted to leave the club.
“It’s a special club in my life, and I’m very grateful for everything it’s given me and my family. It’s an immense pleasure to wear this shirt!
“Botafogo is my home, my choice, and the right decision for new dreams and achievements that we can still strive for together. There’s still time for Botafogo!”
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