West Ham United are believed to have turned their attention to Italy in their search for a new goalkeeper, with two reported targets currently playing their football in the country’s capital.
Lukasz Fabianski is currently the Hammers’ undisputed number one, however with injuries having occurred, there is not too much depth to the squad currently available to David Moyes.
Roberto left the club in the summer on a free transfer and joined Real Vallodolid after leaving the Premier League club after failing to impress with his performances. However, the Irons failed to sign a replacement.
That left Darren Randolph and David Martin as Fabianski’s deputies, however each of the three shot-stoppers are in their 30s and it seems the club are looking to add some younger competition. Adding competition is always important, as bettors who use the services of apuestas24 will already know.
According to a report by Calciomercato via TEAMtalk, AS Roma’s Pau Lopez and SS Lazio’s Thomas Strakosha have both emerged as targets for West Ham United this winter.
The reports says that an intermediary has been working for West Ham to try and test the waters about a deal involving the AS Roma number one.
Lopez has experience of being at a Premier League club, although he failed to make a single appearance for Tottenham Hotspur during his brief loan at the club. He has since lost his place to 36-year-old Antonio Mirante at AS Roma, though.
This has meant that there could be a possibility of a move for the 26-year-old, although a January move could be difficult to complete now.
The Spaniard has re-established himself as the AS Roma number one in recent weeks and is said to be delaying a decision on his future until the end of the current season.
Which is perhaps where the link involving Strakosha comes into play. The Irons are thought to be thinking about a move for him and have already made enquiries about the SS Lazio ‘keeper.
The 25-year-old, who has been a mainstay for Lazio and the Albania National Team, is regarded highly and has impressed since coming through the youth ranks at the Rome-based outfit.
He has made more than 170 first-team appearances for the club and has managed to keep a total of near to 50 clean sheets (per TransferMarkt).
However, this season has been a little out of the ordinary for Strakosha, as he has lost his place in the team. A positive Covid-19 result did not help matters, but injury has also taken its toll on him, thus seeing veteran Liverpool and Aston Villa ‘keeper, Pepe Reina, take the number one spot.
West Ham are said to be keen to try and lure him to the London Stadium and provide him with a new opportunity to reinvent his career, and with 18 months left on his contract, Lazio might be tempted to sell.
