After opening talks with Southampton over a potential £25 million deal for Aaron Ramsdale, West Ham United appear in no mood to rest on their laurels in pursuit of a new number one.
Lukasz Fabianski has gone already, Wes Fotheringham is clearly not considered to be a starter, while Alphonse Areola remains a ‘glaring weak spot’ between the sticks at the London Stadium.
Despite being nominated for the Premier League’s Save of the Season award, the manner in which Areola gifted Nottingham Forest their opener during that final day 2-1 defeat in East London shone the harshest of lights on his deficiencies.
The experienced Frenchman passed the ball straight to a grateful Morgan Gibbs-White. As gifts go, this one was neatly wrapped and tied up in a pretty little bow.
Hammers News revealed on Tuesday that West Ham have opened talks with Aaron Ramsdale. The England international can be snapped up for £25 million thanks to a relegation clause in his Southampton contract, while Graham Potter is a big admirer of a goalkeeper whose distribution was once described by Arsenal legend Ian Wright as ‘magnificent’.
Ramsdale, though, is not the only option under consideration.
Fabrizio Romano has already thrown Noah Atubolu’s name into the ring. And, after the Freiburg glovesman responded to West Ham’s interest towards the back end of 2024, Atubolu has now opened up on his desire to swap the Bundesliga for the English Premier League at some point down the line.
Freiburg goalkeeper Noah Atubolu opens door for West Ham United
Speaking to Sport BILD, a goalkeeper also on the radars of Paris Saint-Germain and Bayer Leverkusen insists that he is in no rush to leave the picturesque surroundings of the Black Forest.
Freiburg will be playing Europa League football next season, after all. A move to West Ham would see Atubolu sacrifice a shot at continental action for a team who finished a disappointing 14th in England’s top-flight.
“I don’t want to make any promises. You never know what might happen tomorrow,” says 22-year-old Atubolu, Germany’s first choice at Under-21 level. “But I’m very grateful to the club for making me their number one.
“I play regularly, even though I’m so young. That doesn’t happen often. I want to develop further now, and I’m in very good hands here.
“I’ve now played my second season in the Bundesliga. Believe me, it’s very exciting and challenging. Personally, like my father, I’ve been a huge Premier League fan since I was a child. It’s the best league in the world.
“And of course, every player’s goal is to achieve the best.”
Atubolu, Freiburg born and a graduate of their academy, spent much of his childhood glued to the TV watching Chelsea.
With West Ham’s London rivals in the market for a goalkeeper themselves – AC Milan stopper Mike Maignan has been heavily linked this week – the Hammers bosses will be hoping that Chelsea stay out of the mix for Atubolu’s signature.
Noah Atubolu has a brilliant penalty record in the Bundesliga
Last season, while establishing himself as a potential goalkeeping powerhouse-in-waiting, Atubolu became the first ever Freiburg glovesman to go over 600 minutes without conceding a goal.
He has also saved four of the seven penalties he has come up against since the start of 2023/24, the Bundesliga even wondering via their official TikTok account if Atubolu is destined to become ‘the next goalkeeping superstar’.
“The fact that I’m now in the club’s history books is incredible to me. The six and a half games in which I didn’t concede a goal have given us a boost as a team,” beams Atubolu, who finished third in the Bundesliga’s Golden Glove standings behind Manuel Neuer of Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig’s Peter Gulacsi.
“Gianluigi Donnarumma of PSG has tremendous poise for a player who’s only 26 years old. There are a few things [I] can learn from, just like Mike Maignan of AC Milan. He has very clean technique and plays very courageously. He doesn’t wait for opportunities.
“I’m a fan of that because he’s not afraid!”
One goalkeeper definitely not on his way to the London Stadium, meanwhile, is Caoimhin Kelleher. Brentford signed the long-serving Liverpool back-up in a bargain deal this week.
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