Alphonse Areola watched on from a pretty unfamiliar vantage point as Mads Hermansen’s West Ham United career began with a 3-0 defeat by Sunderland on Saturday.
As debuts go, this was not one the £18 million signing will look back on with much fondness.
While Leicester legend Gary Lineker is backing Mads Hermansen to show why West Ham made him their first-choice goalkeeping target ahead of a host of other options, even his biggest supporters would have to accept that Wilson Isidor’s stoppage-time, icing-on-the-cake strike fell firmly into the ‘savable’ category.
It is not as if the man he replaced between the sticks is immune to the odd error, though.
Alphonse Areola became a ‘glaring weak spot’ in Graham Potter’s starting XI last season.
Per FotMob, only Brighton’s Bart Verbruggen possessed a worse ‘expected goals’ conceded’ tally in 2024/25. Areola, according to the statistics, let in 5.2 more goals than he was realistically expected to given the quality of the chances West Ham United gave up.
So, with Graham Potter giving Hermansen his full support and with suitors in relatively short supply, Areola will have to get used to his new role as back-up.
Especially now that Paris FC appear to have decided against bringing the former Paris Saint-Germain glovesman back across the Channel.
Alphonse Areola in action for West Ham against Man United in the Premier League Summer Series in New York
Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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Paris FC close the door on West Ham United goalkeeper Alphonse Areola
A top spokesman for West Ham’s board told Hammers News a few days ago that Red Bull-backed Paris FC showed interest in Alphonse Areola.
Back in Ligue 1 after a near-50-year absence, PSG’s ambitious neighbours – and we mean ‘neighbours’ literally, given their respective stadiums are separated by just one street – have followed up promotion with a handful of high-profile signings.
Former Marseille, Sassuolo and Fiorentina midfielder Maxime Lopez arrives. As does Willem Geubells, the striker Monaco once paid £17 million for while still a teenager. Moses Simon is in the building too after another fine goalscoring campaign at Nantes.
Former FC Porto defender Otavio was also snapped up for a club-record £14 million.
Hammers News heard that Paris FC may look to sign Areola on loan, too, with an option-to-buy clause in his contract.
Areola’s staggering £120,000-a-week wages were always likely to be a stumbling block, however. And, while closing the door on one goalkeeper target, Paris FC have now officially signed another.
Kevin Trapp returns to France after Sheffield Wednesday block Pierce Charles exit
Kevin Trapp is not only a superior glovesman in various respects, the German international also signs a three-year deal worth just shy of £60,000-a-week.
As such, Paris FC bring the former PSG number one back to the French capital on a contract half the size of Areola’s at the London Stadium.
Kevin Trapp celebrates after Eintracht Frankfurt v Rangers FC - UEFA Europa League Final 2021/22
Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images
Trapp, a Europa League winner with Eintracht Frankfurt, becomes Paris FC’s newest marquee addition just a few months after helping his old employers finish third in the German Bundesliga.
The only other club to seemingly show any kind of interest in Areola this summer, meanwhile, were RCD Espanyol. The La Liga outfit signed Marko Dmitrovic, once of Charlton Athletic, after losing Joan Garcia to Catalan rivals Barcelona, however.
Funnily enough, Trapp’s replacement at Eintracht Frankfurt is expected to be another goalkeeper with links to the Hammers.
West Ham reportedly made a bid for Michael Zetterer before completing the £18 million signing of Hermansen nearly a fortnight ago. Zetterer is now closing in on a move to The Eagles after being given permission to leave Werder Bremen for talks.
And, with Areola sticking around, the likelihood is that West Ham’s pursuit of Sheffield Wednesday youngster Pierce Charles will have to be placed on the backburner.
Hammers News can confirm that Sheffield Wednesday blocked West Ham’s approach for the 20-year-old Northern Ireland international earlier in the window.