West Ham’s goalkeeping overhaul is gathering serious pace — and it looks like Graham Potter may have found his new No.1.
Following the exit of club veteran Łukasz Fabiański and a disappointing season for Alphonse Areola, the Hammers have made signing a reliable shot-stopper one of the key priorities of the summer.
Plenty of names have been floated: Zion Suzuki of Parma, Leicester’s Mads Hermansen, and Sheffield United’s Michael Cooper have all been linked in recent weeks. But now, it seems Potter is closing in on his man — and it’s none of the usual suspects.
Instead, the incoming goalkeeper looks set to be a Brazilian star who caught the world’s attention at the Club World Cup.
West Ham in Advanced Talks for John Victor
Botafogo have been raided this summer. (REUTERS/Matias Baglietto)
John Victor. (REUTERS/Matias Baglietto)
According to Fabrizio Romano, West Ham are now in “advanced talks” to sign Botafogo goalkeeper John Victor.
It was reported last week that the Hammers had submitted a £7 million bid for the 29-year-old — and while it’s not yet clear if that bid has been officially accepted, Romano’s latest update suggests progress is being made. A move to the London Stadium now appears imminent.
Victor has been on the radar of several clubs, including Galatasaray and Everton, and was even scouted by Manchester United earlier this year. But it’s West Ham who look set to win the race.
The Brazilian shot-stopper turned heads at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, playing a starring role as Botafogo pulled off a shock win over Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain. That giant-killing performance wasn’t a fluke either.
Victor has been one of Botafogo’s most consistent performers over the past two seasons. He’s racked up 83 appearances and kept 36 clean sheets during that time — a run of form that helped the club lift a domestic treble in 2024, winning the Série A title, the Copa Libertadores, and the Taça Rio.
This is no gamble. This is a battle-tested keeper in his prime — and if the deal goes through, he could be exactly what Potter needs to shore up a shaky backline.