West Ham get their goalkeeper, and maybe for years to come
West Ham has reached an agreement with Paris Saint-Germain to sign Alphonse Areola on an initial loan. That loan, however, can become permanent.
West Ham fans have been waiting a long time for the team to bring in a senior squad signing finally, and it has finally happened. The Hammers have brought in the 2018 FIFA World Cup-winning goalkeeper, Alphonse Areola, to help secure the net.
The 28-year-old France international joins West Ham on an initial season-long deal. That loan deal also has an option to make the transfer permanent after the 2022 season. Areola is an outstanding goalkeeper, and he has plenty of experience to know exactly what it takes to win in the Premier League.
Most recently, he was on loan at Fulham, and the French keeper has some issues. Those issues, however, weren’t so much on him as it was on the leaking defense of the rest of his club. He played in 37 matches, giving up 48 goals while collecting ten clean sheets.
Throughout his career, he had made over 250 career appearances for the likes of PSG and Real Madrid, winning four Ligue 1 and La Liga titles and raising a multitude of other trophies. With West Ham going into a new European competition, having this leadership and knowledge will be massive.
West Ham get their goalkeeper, and maybe for years to come
Not only will he bring experience if kept permanently, but he can also be the buffer between Lukasz Fabianski and the club overusing Fabs. Even if this is a one-and-done deal, Areola will undoubtedly help give rest to the Polish international and give the club depth with more games coming.
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This will be the keeper’s third successive stop on loan from his parent club, but this time PSG has more reason to sell him off for reasonable at the season’s end, finally. This move is a win-win for both clubs and leaving Areola the beneficiary of it. It feels good to sign a player, doesn’t it!