A journalist has revealed the real reason West Ham target Aaron Ramsdale chose to join Newcastle, and it will be a serious worry for the Hammers.
The motive behind his decision underlines concerns among some fans and a number of pundits and journalists.
It may also suggest why West Ham have struggled so badly to appeal to top-level targets this summer transfer window.
Nothing sums up the contrasting trajectories West Ham and Newcastle are on right now than their striker situations.
Newcastle have just let ageing, injury-prone Callum Wilson go as they look to hold on to Aleksander Isak while making a move to sign Benjamin Sesko.
Meanwhile the Hammers, who have been in desperate need of quality new young strikers for years, have signed Newcastle’s cast off Wilson as their main striker arrival.
West Ham and Newcastle on very different trajectories
The Magpies are preparing for a campaign of Champions League football again while the biggest thing the Hammers have to shout about is that Graham Potter has managed to improve team spirit.
Next season is expected to be among the most competitive in modern Premier League history.
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After two seasons where all three promoted clubs went straight back down, many believe change is coming.
Paul Merson says the newly-promoted sides will fancy finishing above West Ham.
Tony Cascarino and Darren Ambrose both think the Hammers are relegation candidates under Potter.
Neither West Ham nor Newcastle have been as busy in the transfer market as their managers and fans would have hoped.
Both Potter and Eddie Howe needed to address their goalkeeping situation.
Graham Potter and Newcastle manager Eddie Howe share a pre-match chat
Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images
Potter took many by surprise with his decision not to extend the contract of veteran West Ham goalkeeper and fan favourite Lukasz Fabianski.
Both the Hammers and Geordies wanted James Trafford at one stage, but there was only one winner when his former club Man City came in for the young England star.
West Ham were then heavily and consistently linked with Southampton’s Aaron Ramsdale.
It was revealed months ago that West Ham boss Potter wanted Ramsdale as their new number one.
Ramsdale ended up joining Newcastle at the weekend instead.
West Ham have been linked with Mads Hermansen, Zion Siuzuki and John Victor instead.
Real reason Ramsdale chose Newcastle is a concern for West Ham
Now a journalist has shared the real reason Ramsdale has chosen Newcastle and it’s gravely concerning for West Ham.
Many West Ham fans had voiced their disapproval at the prospect of signing the former Arsenal stopper.
Ramsdale has been labelled ‘the Relegator’ and ‘cursed’ by football fans and some Hammers felt that a better, younger goalkeeper was needed.
Newcastle do not have any relegation worries on their minds.
After 18 months which have yielded just 15 wins from their last 57 Premier League matches, relegation simply has to be a worry for Potter, on whom the jury is still out.
Newcastle United unveil new signing Aaron Ramsdale at St James' Park
Photo by Michelle Mercer/Newcastle United via Getty Images
It seems that’s how Ramsdale felt too.
In joining Newcastle, the England goalkeeper will have to compete with excellent shot stopper Nick Pope for a starting spot.
West Ham’s situation is a lot more clear cut with Alphonse Areola struggling badly to hold on to the number one spot.
Yet Ramsdale chose Newcastle and now we know why.
According to reporter Alan Nixon, Ramsdale wanted to make sure he keeps another relegation off his CV.
Nixon says Ramsdale ‘had many choices’ of club when he left Southampton but there was one rule that ended the chances of several clubs.
Ramsdale and his camp refused to entertain the likes of Leeds, Burnley and Sunderland while West Ham were also heavily linked before pivoting to other targets.
Potter target Ramsdale didn’t want another relegation on his CV
And now it has emerged that may have been because Ramsdale feels West Ham could be relegated.
Nixon says Ramsdale’s top priority was actually to sign for a club which did not add to his unwanted relegation statistic.
The fact a top transfer target sees West Ham in that light is a worry for the Hammers.
Not just in terms of battling to stay up next season but it may well be how many other Hammers targets feel too.
And that may just explain why the transfer window has been such slow going for West Ham, with El Hadji Malick Diouf the only player the east Londoners have paid money for alongside free agent signings Kyle Walker-Peters and Wilson.
West Ham being rejected by Ramsdale ‘the relegator’ because he’s worried they are set for that fate may just be a new low for the Hammers in the transfer market.
With Hammers fans unhappy at links to ‘cheap’ 29-year-old Brazilian Victor, suddenly Ramsdale doesn’t seem such a bad signing after all.