The new faces just keep flooding in at Graham Potter’s West Ham United, with Leicester City goalkeeper Mads Hermansen set to join Callum Wilson, Kyle Walker-Peters and El Hadji Malick Diouf.
The Hammers waited six weeks for their first signing of the summer window, and now four have arrived in the space of a month.
Mads Hermansen is London-bound after Leicester accepted an £18 million bid on Thursday. The Dane was one of the bright sparks of a disastrous Premier League campaign for the Foxes, and adds more top-flight pedigree to Graham Potter’s squad alongside ex-Newcastle striker Callum Wilson and former Southampton full-back Walker-Peters.
Hammers News can confirm that West Ham must raise funds for further additions.
Although with a dynamic central midfielder wanted and a young striker also a possibility – reports in France claim Metz teenager Idrissa Gueye could join in a potential £13 million deal – it is unlikely that Hermansen is the final addition to the West Ham United roster this summer.
But, speaking ahead of Saturday’s friendly clash with LOSC Lille, Graham Potter highlighted the virtues of two, far more under-the-radar additions; Casper Ankergren and Linus Kandolin.
Casper Ankergren during Brighton and Hove Albion v Partick Thistle: Pre-Season Friendly
Photo by Manuel Queimadelos Alonso/Getty Images
Graham Potter applauds Casper Ankergren and Linus Kandolin arrivals at West Ham United
West Ham bid farewell to Xavi Valero in May. The experienced Spaniard arrived as part of Manuel Pellegrini’s coaching staff in 2018 and departed seven years later.
In his place come both Ankergren and Kandolin; the Hammers revitalising and re-shaping their goalkeeping department.
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Kandolin worked with Potter as he made his name in Sweden with Ostersunds, and now reunites with a familiar face in the English capital. While a delighted Kandolin was appointed West Ham’s First-Team Goalkeeper Coach, Ankergren took up the role of Lead First-Team Goalkeeper Coach a few weeks later.
“On the coaching staff, Casper Ankergren has arrived as Lead First-Team Goalkeeper Coach, and will be assisted by Linus Kandolin,” Potter tells the club’s official website.
“I have worked with both guys previously, at Brighton and Ostersunds respectively, and they are excellent coaches who will really help us.
“As a group, we’ve enjoyed being able to spend a lot of time developing a really good team spirit. The players and staff are really connected, and there’s a lot of togetherness in the group. We’re really happy with the environment, and really happy with the culture, and hopefully that will only continue to grow as we go forward.”
Ankergren worked with Leicester ace Mads Hermansen at Brondby
Still only 34, Linus Kandolin arrives from Swedish outfit Elfsborg having successfully ‘taken the goalkeeping coach role to another level’ at his old employers.
Kandolin’s expertise was a big factor in the emergence of Hakon Valdimirsson – who recently joined Brentford – as Iceland’s new number one.
Ankergren, formerly the man between the sticks at Leeds United and Brighton and Hove Albion, joins after four years at Danish giants Brondby.
Hammers News can confirm that Ankergren encouraged West Ham’s Mads Hermansen pursuit at a time when Zion Suzuki, Mads Hermansen, Michael Zetterer, Djordje Petrovic and John Victor were also under consideration.
Ankergren described Hermansen as an ‘amazing’ talent during their time together at Brondby back in 2023.
“Casper Ankergren has helped to raise my level and challenged me,” the man likely to take the number one jersey at West Ham said just before completing his £5 million switch to Leicester City.
“Not only technically, but also mentally.”