‘West Ham to step up Robert Sanchez pursuit amid Aaron Ramsdale setback’
West Ham are to intensify their pursuit of Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez amid a setback in their attempts to sign Aaron Ramsdale.
Graham Potter is keen to add another goalkeeper to his ranks after the club released Lukasz Fabianski and Alphonse Areola may also depart.
Sanchez is thought to be free to leave Chelsea with Enzo Maresca wanting to replace the Spaniard in goal next season.
Meanwhile, Ramsdale was relegated with Southampton last season, but impressed in his stint at Arsenal previously, and is thought to be available for around £25million.
Turkish giants eye Ramsdale deal
The Times have reported that Turkish club Galatasaray are now eyeing up Ramsdale following the departure of number one Fernando Muslera.
39-year-old Muslera is now a free agent after 14 seasons in Istanbul and is sure to still attract interest across Europe.
Galatasaray are interested in a loan move for Ramsdale, which would suit Southampton if they were to make an immediate return to the top flight.
A move to Turkey for the 27-year-old would be a blow to West Ham, but it would also open the door for the club to move for Sanchez.
A fresh start may be what is required for Ramsdale to make England’s World Cup squad next summer and with Galatasaray in next season’s Champions League he would be playing on the biggest stage against elite opposition.
Sanchez signing would signal Potter intent
Only four goalkeepers kept more clean sheets in the Premier League last season than Sanchez, but the 27-year-old was often criticised for some costly errors.
No keeper made more errors leading to goals in the league last season than Sanchez.
Maresca requires his goalkeeper to be able to comfortably play out from the back, but Sanchez was often a main culprit in gifting possession back to the opposition.
His shot stopping abilities though cannot be questioned and in that department, Sanchez would be a superb addition to West Ham.
| Appearances | 135 |
| Clean sheets | 40 |
| Errors leading to goals | 8 |
The Hammers do need to tighten up their defence after leaking 62 goals last season and they were often too easy to play against.
Luckily for the London club the promoted sides were all atrocious so a poor campaign at the bottom end of the table wasn’t punished with a relegation scrap.
Potter needs to urgently address the problems in his squad this summer otherwise a battle against the drop may be on the cards.