West Ham have stepped up their pursuit of Southampton goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, according to reports.
TalkSPORT claim that the Hammers have “held talks” with the ex-Arsenal No.1 ahead of a possible transfer to the London Stadium.
Ramsdale is believed to be open to the move as he knows he needs to play in the Premier League to stand any chance of being selected in next summer’s World Cup squad.
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Similarly, Southampton are eager to get the keeper off their books as they can no longer afford his salary, with talkSPORT reporting that he earns around £100,000 a week.
Potter wants to bring in Ramsdale
With Lukasz Fabianski leaving the club at the end of this month, head coach Graham Potter is hoping to bring in a replacement and he is said to be keen on signing the Southampton keeper.
However, the Saints are hoping to recoup the £20m they paid Arsenal for Ramsdale last summer, and that demand could prove to be a major stumbling block in negotiations.
West Ham have let another keeper slip through the net
The fact that Brentford are expected to secure the signing of Liverpool’s Caoimhin Kelleher for an initial £12.5m does raise questions about the Irons’ transfer strategy.
Many supporters were calling on the club to make a bid for the Republic of Ireland international and it looks as if he would have been a cheaper purchase than Ramsdale.
Kelleher’s ability to play out from the back would have made him a better fit for Potter’s style of football as well, but it seems like no serious attempt was made to secure his signature.
Ramsdale appears to be the priority target but West Ham will undoubtedly be hoping to get him for less than £20m.
In other news, fans have reacted to reports that the club are interested in signing a Manchester United forward