During a week in which Lukasz Fabianski was linked with a move to West Ham United’s London neighbours Charlton Athletic, a former Valley stopper finds himself inheriting the gloves of the man tipped to become Barcelona’s new number one.
A 40-year-old Lukasz Fabianski, it appears, will not be Charlton’s future first-choice.
The long-serving West Ham glovesman rejected a return to Poland with Legia Warsaw in May, favouring an extended stay in the English capital for family reasons. It is believed that Fabianski will not be joining Championship newcomers Charlton Athletic, however, the veteran free agent still considering his options.
A man from Valley past, meanwhile, has been handed the rather unenviable task of succeeding arguably the most talented – and surely the most influential – goalkeeper of the 2024/25 La Liga season.
And if West Ham United had hoped to cash in on Alphonse Areola on the back of an error-strewn Premier League campaign, Marko Dmitrovic’s switch from Leganes to RCD Espanyol draws a firm line under that.
West Ham United handed Alphonse Areola blow as Joan Garcia joins Barcelona
Goalkeeper Alphonse Areola celebrates during West Ham United FC v Leicester City FC - Premier League
Photo by Jacques Feeney/Offside/Offside via Getty Images
A week ago, Barcelona triggered the £21 million release clause in Joan Garcia’s contract at Catalan neighbours Espanyol.
A cat-like reflex-specialist cut from the same cloth as a young David de Gea, the brilliant Spaniard was perhaps the biggest reason why Espanyol finished last season two points over the right side of the relegation zone.
So the man stepping into a Joan Garcia-shaped void, then, will be under serious pressure from day one. Both from the supporters and, presumably, opposition forwards as well.
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Marko Dmitrovic, who played five games for Charlton Athletic a decade ago, adds Espanyol to Eibar, Sevilla and Leganes in the 33-year-old Serbian’s collection of La Liga-based employers.
According to reports, Espanyol had been considering West Ham’s Alphonse Areola initially.
Joan Garcia’s departure from the RCDE Stadium has felt inevitable for over a year now, so The Parakeets have had plenty of time to draw up a hefty list of potential successors. Now, with Dmitrovic signing a three-year deal with Espanyol instead, Areola is yet another West Ham player for whom a summer departure feels further away than ever.
West Ham handed Maxwel Cornet and Nayef Aguerd blows
Maxwel Cornet appeared to say goodbye to Genoa this week, with West Ham yet to come to an agreement with the Serie A outfit over a deal that would see the London Stadium’s £17 million forgotten man remain in Italy.
Both Bayer Leverkusen and Real Sociedad have moved away from Nayef Aguerd, meanwhile. Another expensively-acquired player who spent last season out on loan, Aguerd has fallen behind Liverpool youngster Jarell Quansah on Leverkusen’s wishlist.
La Real, meanwhile, are now prioritising Igor of Brighton and Hove Albion.
This, plus the slow pace of developments surrounding Lucas Paqueta, Mohammed Kudus, Tomas Soucek and co, means West Ham are yet to make a single penny by selling any of their first-team players this summer.
Hammers News understands that West Ham made contact with Southampton’s Aaron Ramsdale recently. However, with a £25 million relegation clause in his contract, the Hammers risk seeing Ramsdale snatched away from under their noses by a club with funds readily available to them.
Because until Areola, Aguerd, Cornet and co are moved on, progress at West Ham will remain elusive.