West Ham fans have been dealt some decidedly average news with the revelation that both Mads Hermansen and Zion Suzuki were considered too ambitious for the club. Well—at least that’s how it reads to me.
The latest update comes from ExWHUEmployee, who has supported earlier claims by Fabrizio Romano that Botafogo goalkeeper John Victor is now the club’s main transfer target. The Hammers are said to be in advanced talks with the 29-year-old Brazilian over a £9.5 million deal.
But it’s Ex’s revelation that will raise the most concern. According to the West Ham ITK, the club only want a goalkeeper to compete with Alphonse Areola—not replace him as the new No.1. Shocking!
Hermansen and Suzuki both want guaranteed first-choice roles, while Victor—presumably—is happy to take on the Łukasz Fabiański role and sit on the bench if required.
I don’t doubt for a moment that Ex is simply passing along what he’s been told, but the whole charade feels like a mess.
Goalkeeper John Victor is the cheap option
Penny pinching move is taking fans for fools
This has nothing to do with ambition—it’s about cost-cutting. Graham Potter’s top two choices were valued at £25m and £30m respectively, but West Ham appear to be settling for someone at a third of that price. You’d have to be a fool to believe that this signing had anything to do with getting the best goalkeeper available. John Victor could well be a half decent keeper but expecting fans to swallow the narrative that he’s been signed for competition rather than money takes the fans for fools.
What’s worse is the implied acceptance that Areola remains our first-choice goalkeeper. If true, it suggests that the club’s hierarchy is more concerned with cost than competitiveness—and that’s incredibly worrying.
We’re not just sacrificing the chance to sign two outstanding prospects—we’re also risking playing Areola in a key position when he is clearly unsuited to the managers wish for a keeper who is good with his feet.
Brian Clough once said a good goalkeeper is worth 10 points a season. I fear this move could cost us that and more.
We should’ve bought Hermansen as he could’ve been our keeper for the next decade! Unfortunately with SULLIVAN in charge we are only going to buy someone else’s cast offs.There are decent young players available out there that would transform our team.Elliot,mcatee and fernandes to a lesser extent that Sullivan won’t provide the funding for or won’t buy as he considers them too expensive! The players we are going to buy will not improve the team so we are in for a relegation battle again! If we get RELEGATED there is only one person to blame SULLIVAN!!! Potters hands are tied due to lack of investment,you can’t rebuild on a shoestring which is what Sullivan want him to do!
Easy solution to all concerns – buy John Victor for £80million.
Everyone happy that we have bought an expensive goalie. COYI
On the plus side Victor is known to dominate his own area in the box. We conceded a lot of goals last season due to Areolas hesitancy in the box.
Very well said Gonzo, the thing that worries me now, is that they will do this for the much needed Midfielder player we desperately need.
Must be something about this keeper John Victor as I’ve read Villa, Everton, Man U all interested in him. I just read one report online which said Manchester United are closely monitoring West Ham and readying themselves to trigger his release clause. What his release clause is Lord only knows, but makes you wonder why West Ham haven’t triggered it if we really want him so much.
If the money saved through getting the Brazilian keeper results in us getting Ramsey or Elliot or even McAtee or Fernandes then I think it is money well saved
A quality midfielder to play alongside Potts and Lucas P is a must for this team
Good article but my goodness this certainly shows Sullivan’s lack of ambition if true. Areola needs to be replaced as number 1, he can’t play in Potter’s preferred style and his keepy up effort 3 yards from his goal which was instantly closed down and hit the bar was ridiculous. His distribution is poor and his defenders seem nervous as he does not dominate his penalty box. To bring a new keeper in just to act as back up based on the cheapest option would be a huge mistake especially with Fab also departed.
Diouf was outstanding with excellent crosses from the left with defence splitting accuracy, something we haven’t had for years. The progression and link up play between Freddie Potts and Pacqueta showed real promise and I can’t wait to see this in the Premier League as their understanding develops. A shaky opening 20 minutes where we were under the cosh, but lots of good signs, but the Chairman must back Potter to bring in the players he needs starting with a new number 1 keeper and strengthening our midfield.
Only blame one person. Sulivan!
This has Sullivan’s grubby paws all over it. No ambition, just a penny-pinching shark who’s slowly but surely wrecking our club.
This is no surprise to me and a total disgrace for all true West Ham fans!!!
It is not just this deal as all summer long Sullivan and the rest of WEST HAMS Board, with their LONG POCKETS and SHORT ARMS, have been hiding behind PSR. Time after time good decent players in all areas and positions have become available and Sullivan and his Board have simply sat on their backsides and done nothing whilst other Clubs deal and purchase.
Quite simply they do not deserve our loyalty and support and to add insult to matters they are now trying to force CONSESIONARY SEASON TICKET HOLDERS out of their seats, with supposed new regulations. What they actually want is to get rid of long serving older fans so that they can get more TICKET REVENUE!!!
Everything at the moment is appalling at the Club and the sooner Sullivan and the Board sell up and go the better.
My problem with this is Potter wants a keeper who can use his feet. Areola gives the ball straight back to the opposition half the time. I’m assuming this is why he wanted Suzuki or Hermansen who are both good with their feet. I don’t know the first thing about the Brazilian and whether he’s good with the ball at his feet or not. If Areola is now seemingly first choice surely this goes against everything Potter is trying to achieve with his style of play.
Sadly we entered the closed season with very little money to spend because we’re spent £470m in the three previous years but we don’t have much to show for it. We need to get real. Moyes, Steidten, Loppy & Sullivan have wasted a lot of money (and that’s ignoring the ridiculous wages awarded to the likes of Ings and Rodriguez). We’ve recouped some of the outlay with the sales of Rice, Kudus and others but money was always going to be tight this summer. If we need to spend less on a keeper in order to afford a decent midfielder then so be it. There’s some positives though … Paqueta should be a new player, Fullkrug looks fit and eager, Diouf already looks a proper player, and Potts looks hopeful. Let’s focus on the positives and accept that understandably, in view of our poor transfer decisions over the last three years, we haven’t got much money to spend.
We are nowhere near strong enough in the middle of the park, upfront and in goal. Indeed the only positive has been Diouf who looks good with a sweet left foot on him. We will struggle if we do not add better than we have in those areas and you can’t do that on the cheap. We are meant to be the 14th richest club in the world!!
Agree with most parts. I think fans would be much happier if Sullivan said to potter and the recruitment team this is your budget you identify what you need and the players you want but that’s all you’re getting. It’s the fact Sullivan is just doing his own thing ignoring recruitment team. Not considering how potter wants to play, it’s Sullivan knows best he will buy who he wants and they will have to get on with it. Sullivan is a mug that only has one way of working. Most clubs and agents can’t stand him that’s why he does all business through a few agents and takes whatever they give him. He can’t close a deal outside his trusted agents.
Really? Who is your “trusted source”? Areola is a liability and it is very likely he will cost us games before the season is even half done. It is not just his footwork, it is his lack of command of his area, his vision and his positional awareness is non-existent. The truth about whether or not WHU have money to spend is as hard to prove as the claim that Potter is in charge. Let’s see how many games Scarles and Potts start this season.
To be fair, the Botafogo fans absolutely idolise the guy and from what I’ve read, albeit in basic schoolboy Portuguese, he’s very highly rated there. For the money, it’s not that much of a punt. I mean he can’t be worse than Jimenez can he? No really, can he?
Mind you, if transfers were coming out of your pocket and a mate of mine said “Ive got a Kyle Walker Peters and a Callum Wilson for free if you want them, any good to you?” You’d probably have to consider wouldn’t you?
No, how do they improve us?
Sullivan has been taking the fans for fools ever since he has owned the club remember what he promised when we left Upton park he will soon be crying when the stadium is half empty [edited]
Well said , it feels to me Sullivan is not backing Potter but will throw him under the bus if we don’t perform. In reality Sullivanis to blame for the lack of ambition so underwhelmed . Have a word with Sullivan guys tell him fans want more ambition and backing of Potter
Seriously can you imagine Sullivan not wanting to get a keeper on the cheap. It’s obvious he will look for the cheap option. He just signed Wilson someone that the manager doesn’t want and none of the fans.
The Leicester ‘keeper is the one to sign.
We are turning into Birmingham City
And they warned us about Sullivan and Brady!
Not sure that £9m is cheap for a poor goalkeeper. I’m sure we could pick up someone from the championship or League 1 that would be cheaper and better (not that we should be doing that).
WHU will never progress while the clown is in charge and I fear that only thing that will change that is relegation followed by a season struggling at the bottom of the Championship and sadly that is looking increasingly likely.
Just hope this is Potter’s choice and he knows he can use the spare cash to get one of his top midfield targets. The worry is we’ll end up with another flawed keeper and not alot else. Only time will tell.
Manchester United were heavily rumoured to be going to sign John Victor as a replacement for Onana. He’s a better keeper than Onana that’s for sure. I know Lucas Paqueta was linked with a move to Botofogo at one time where Victor is keeper. A Brazilian mate for Paqueta and Guilherme if he comes to West Ham. Available at a good price to provide serious competition for Areola. Areola makes the odd mistake but he’s not suddenly become a bad keeper. He is still a premier league quality goalkeeper and was pretty decent in a lot of European games. Also, if by spending less on a goalkeeper it frees up money for a top midfielder I think I’d go along with that. Maybe not as bad a signing as you might think.
Agreed, why so negative about everything. Who says Zion or Mads are better keepers than the brazilian? I thought Potter and his team were supposed to find good affordable signings (like Diof) …like he did at Brighton. Not inflated mainstream players..
Give it a rest your constant assumptions and negativity is mind blowing.
Just get behind the club for a change!!!
Well, why don’t you comment when I do positive match reports or praise a player? I noticed you haven’t posted on this mornings blog about Diouf shining or the post about us having money to spend?
Funny how you only seem to comment on things you don’t like Ian . . . . maybe I’m not the only negative Nellie around these parts, why don’t you get behind the club and say something positive? 😉
I find it astounding that people think wanting the best for the club is negative and describing that you want better for our squad is somehow not getting behind the club! We all knew we needed serious change this summer but all we’ve done is the bare minimum at very best, are you happy with Callum Wilson, or were you hoping for better? The midfield is a glaring issue yet I feel resigned to Sullivan bringing in the freebie Josh Brownhill
Just on the goalkeeper have you seen the dreadful error he made this weekend, if areola had made that mistake many would be hammering him. Cheers
Ian I couldn’t agree more these people who are spreading this constant negativity are are just complete sados, poxy point of view, cannot really be true supporters
Hear hear Dean
Wanting the best for the club is not a poxy point of view. I respect your right to your opinion, just ask you respect the right of me and others that the club lacks ambition, vision and good management. But when the team hits the pitch we will all be right behind them. Is it poxy to expect better from our owners, who have put no money in to player investment at all this summer, I don’t think so.
Where is the club doing anything to get us to support it. It’s been lie after lie, by now we are meant to have been playing Champions League football according to what we were sold and we have never been farther away. I will support the team on the pitch but the club needs to earn that first and it is yet to do so.