There may be a very real chance now that Alphonse Areola, after being ousted by Mads Hermansen, has just one game left in a West Ham United shirt.
If the Hammers do not find a way past Leeds in the FA Cup quarter-finals, the experienced goalkeeper could make what turns out to be a farewell appearance on April 5th at Elland Road.
Areola is Nuno Espirito Santo’s go-to cup keeper, these days. With Mads Hermansen taking his place between the sticks in the Premier League, and with just over 12 months remaining on Alphonse Areola’s contract, West Ham United’s reported interest in Ivor Pandur suggests that a parting of the ways is on the cards.
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Alphonse Areola of West Ham United during the Emirates FA Cup Fifth Round match between West Ham United and Brentford on March 09, 2026 in London, England.
Tuttomercatoweb reported on Wednesday morning that the Hammers are keeping close tabs on the Hull City number one.
While West Ham considered cashing in on Hermansen during the January window, before Nuno gave the Dane a chance he grabbed with both hands, it is surely now Areola who is most at risk of a summer sale.
West Ham United could replace Alphonse Areola with Ivor Pandur
Sky Sports reported in the final few days of August 2025 that West Ham had entered ‘concrete talks’ with Hull regarding their Croatian shot-stopper.
Hermansen had arrived at the London Stadium three weeks earlier. One presumes the idea, then, was to bring in Pandur as the new number two. Paris FC and Espanyol had shown interest in Areola; the feeling being that West Ham were open to letting the veteran go after a poor campaign under Julen Lopetegui and Graham Potter.
Ivor Pandur during Hull City v Watford - Sky Bet Championship
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TMW’s claims that West Ham are ‘still interested’ in Pandur – one year on – surely means that the former Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Fulham glovesman will be made available before he enters free-agency.
To his credit, Areola has remained supportive of Hermansen; nothing but the consummate professional behind the scenes since he was dropped in February.
“It’s nice to be involved,” Areola said before making a brief return to the XI for the FA Cup victory over Brentford. “Even when you don’t play, you try to stay involved because it’s a team sport.”
Hermansen undid so much good work with an error at Villa Park last time out, but a series of stellar displays in Areola’s absence have justified Nuno’s goalkeeping re-shuffle.
Hermansen has four clean sheets in 11 Premier League matches for the Hammers, after all. More than Areola has in his last 38 games in the competition.
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El Hadji Malick Diouf and Jarrod Bowen celebrate Fulham v West Ham United - Premier League
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‘Outstanding’ Pandur is one of the Championship’s best keepers
Like Mateus Fernandes – Portugal boss Roberto Martinez is full of praise for the midfielder’s development in East London – Ivor Pandur earned his first-ever senior national team call-up this month.
The 25-year-old former Rijeka keeper could make his Croatia debut against Colombia on Thursday.
Ironically, the feeling among some Hull fans is that Pandur’s second season on Humberside has not been quite as impressive as his first, when he was named their Player of the Year. Pandur has conceded 57 goals in 2025/26; Hull’s defensive record the second-lowest in the top half of the Championship table.
Yet, he has also saved two of the three penalties he has faced this term. Pandur also boasts the fourth-best ‘expected goals prevented’ percentage in the division, while only five goalkeepers have more than his ten clean sheets.
“Ivor is a player with really good pedigree,” former Hull coach and now-Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior told BBC Sport during their time together on Humberside.
“He’s got a lot of potential and many qualities. He’s an outstanding shot-stopper with agility and plays with personality.”
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