West Ham’s goalkeeper coach Xavi Valero may be set to leave the club in the summer. The 52 year old joined the Hammers in June 2018 under Manuel Pellegrini, and has since worked under several managers, including David Moyes, [Julen Lopetegui](https://www.claretandhugh.info/dont-blame-lopetegui-heres-the-proof/) and most recently Graham Potter.
_ExWHU employee_ is reporting that long serving coach might be on the way out: Valero’s coaching resume includes stints at Liverpool, Real Madrid, Napoli, Inter Milan and Hebei China Fortune. He was highly recommended by Rafael Benitez, having worked with him at a number of these clubs. Over the years Valero has coached some elite goalkeepers including Jerzy Dudek, Pepe Reina, Julio Cesar, Petr Czech and Keylor Navas.
Well-regarded at West Ham’s Rush Green training ground, Valero’s responsibilities have expanded in recent years to include involvement in goalkeeper recruitment alongside his coaching duties.
One potential replacement is Ben Roberts, who worked with Potter at Brighton and followed him to Chelsea in 2022, where he now serves as the “Head of Global Goalkeeping”. At Brighton, Roberts played a significant role in the development of Mat Ryan, David Stockdale, Christian Walton and Robert Sanchez.
With Lukasz Fabianski recently released, it’s somewhat surprising that the former Poland international keeper hasn’t been considered for a coaching role, or encouraged to complete his UEFA licenses.
What is clear is that Potter is looking to strengthen his backroom staff ahead of the new season.