Pending a successful medical West Ham have secured the brilliant signing of goalkeeper Mads Hermansen, and now the Hammers board have made it clear what comes next.
- Hammers News exclusive
Eyes now turn to at least two – if not three more signings – as the Hammers’ summer rebuild gathers pace.
Two in particular are top targets now after West Ham played the goalkeeper market superbly well – albeit using some underhanded tactics – to land Mads Hermansen.
West Ham had made signing a goalkeeper their top priority over the last two weeks.
The Irons have been linked with a host of top stoppers including Japan and Parma’s Zion Suzuki, Sheffield United’s Michael Cooper, Leicester City’s Danish international Mads Hermansen, Botafogo’s John Victor and Werder Bremen’s Michael Zetterer.
That was after being heavily linked to Aaron Ramsdale, Djorde Petrovic and Caoimhin Kelleher before their respective summer moves too.
Mads world as West Ham finally sort goalkeeper situation
Signing a new goalkeeper became a necessity for Graham Potter ever since he ruthlessly released veteran Lukasz Fabianski at the end of last season.
That was despite many Hammers fans feeling the 40-year-old was still a better option than the increasingly unsteady and error-prone Alphonse Areola.
The Frenchman, who turns 33 next season, was linked with a move to Espanyol earlier in the window having been particularly poor since Potter’s arrival at West Ham in January.
While always capable of breath-taking saves, Areola’s all-round game is nowhere near as composed and commanding as Fabianski and other top flight goalkeepers.
That has showed in pre-season where Areola has looked nervy and like a man who knows his place is about to come under threat.
Potter appears to have got his man after it was revealed overnight that West Ham are signing his top target, 25-year-old ‘keeper Hermansen from Leicester City for around £18m.
That’s some £12m less than Man United and West Ham were reportedly originally quoted for the Dane.
And a lot less than Leicester fans feel Hermansen is worth.
West Ham appear to have cleverly – and some would say cruelly – used a move for Victor to force cash-strapped Leicester into selling Hermansen at a lower price.
It was a transfer masterclass in that regard, although John Victor is now trying to claim he snubbed West Ham.
West Ham board share what’s next after brilliant Hermansen deal
Hermansen will have his Hammers medical on Friday and, if all goes to plan, he should be unveiled as Potter’s fourth summer signing in due course once the media package is complete.
With just over three weeks left of the summer transfer window – and one week until the start of the new Premier League season – fans are wondering what the plan of action is now for the Hammers?
The West Ham board have shared what’s next after the brilliant Hermansen deal as eyes turn to at least two more.
It is no secret that West Ham want to sign a top quality box-to-box midfielder before the window closes.
Aston Villa’s Jacob Ramsey is the prime target while the club retains an interest in sought-after Southampton star Mateus Fernandes.
Potter could have to make his biggest decision yet with Man City “preparing” to offer West Ham a stunning Jack Grealish deal.
In an ideal world, the Hammers would bring in a new centre-back as well. But that would require one of Nayef Aguerd or Konstantinos Mavropanos to be sold – and right now there are no takers at the price West Ham want.
A younger forward is also very much in West Ham’s sights with 18-year-old Metz and Senegal starlet Idrissa Gueye being eyed in a £13m deal.
With Michail Antonio joining Danny Ings and Evan Ferguson in leaving the Hammers, it leaves Potter with ageing injury-prone duo Callum Wilson and Niclas Fullkrug as his only senior options.
Callum Marshall has impressed in bursts and Potter has appeared to suggest he will be in and around the first team squad.
Head of recruitment Kyle Macaulay has identified Gueye as a top value signing for West Ham with the potential to be the club’s main striker for years to come.
The need for another young forward at the club has become even more acute after it emerged recent arrival Daniel Cummings has had a shoulder operation and will miss the start of the new season.
Hammers News put the speculation that Ramsey and Gueye could be next after Hermansen to West Ham’s owners.
At least two more eyed by West Ham but sales needed first
It was suggested to the board that West Ham’s squad would suddenly start to look very impressive if those players were added to the Hermansen capture.
The response was intriguing.
The top spokesman for West Ham’s owners would typically deny transfer rumours if there was no truth.
Yet when those names were put to the board spokesman, there was no denial.
Although West Ham say they must now tend to some transfer business of a different type before looking to make more signings.
“We need to move a few fringe players out first before moving our other targets due to FFP rules,” the top West Ham spokesman told Hammers News.
The likes of Aguerd, Mavropanos, Maxwel Cornet, Emerson Palmieri, Guido Rodriguez, Edson Alvarez and even – according to controversial reports all summer – Tomas Soucek could be available for sale at the right price.
It has been claimed suitable offers for Luis Guilherme might be considered too.
Lucas Paqueta is far from a fringe player at West Ham of course. But should a club bid big for the Brazilian, he could be sold too.
One thing is for certain, the final three weeks of the window will be anything but dull at West Ham.
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