West Ham waiting on £15m Fulham man to make call on future
West Ham could make a move to sign goalkeeper Alphonse Areola should he decide to move on from Fulham at the end of the season.
Areola has spent the 20/21 season on loan with the Cottagers from PSG. He missed their first game of the campaign, but has since made 33 appearances in all competitions. The Frenchman has kept 10 clean sheets in those outings and been one of the stand out performers for his team.
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Fulham do have an option to secure him permanently, however the player’s preference will also be taken into consideration.
Areola will reportedly wait to discover whether Fulham will be in the Premier League or the Championship next term before making up his mind.
As things stand, they have a huge battle on their hands to survive the drop. Scott Parker’s men are 18th on the table, six points behind 17th placed Burnley. The Clarets also have a game in hand.
West Ham ready to swoop
Should Fulham go on to be relegated and Areola opt to depart, it appears West Ham could be a potential destination for him.
That is according to a report in the Express, who say the Hammers are interested in the £15million rated glovesman.
That’s because the East London outfit are on the look out for a new long-term option between the sticks.
Their current number one, Lukasz Fabianski, recently turned 36 and is in the twilight of his career. Despite the Pole recently signing a new deal, the club have one eye on the future and know they will need to replace him sooner or later.
At 28, Areola is a man who could be the answer for a number of years to come. His wealth of experience would also be valuable to the Hammers, who are in a strong position to qualify for European football in 2021/22.
The report adds that Slavia Prague ‘keeper Ondrej Kolar and QPR’s Seny Dieng are alternatives.
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