It has been a while since West Ham United have had a permanent solution to their goalkeeping conundrum. This has been one position often experimented with and this season has seen Adrian and Joe Hart battling it out and both failing to leave a lasting impression.
David Moyes is now looking to the market to find the right shot-stopper to solve their goalkeeper issue. After apparently having decided to send Joe Hart back to his parent club at the end of the season, he now turns to Sam Johnstone, the Aston Villa goalie on loan from Manchester United, reports suggest. Having failed to impress and dislodge Romero and De Gea, Johnstone will be looking to move to a club with regular first-team football.
Performance review this season
Following his loan move from United to Aston Villa in the summer, the Englishman has been a regular under Steve Bruce. He has played in all of Villa’s league games having guarded the sticks 39 times. In that period, he has managed 16 clean sheets and stands 4th in the race for the golden glove. His best performance came in Aston Villa’s stalemate against Brentford as he made 5 crucial saves to ensure his team kept a clean sheet.
His form has seen Aston Villa concede just 37 goals in 39 games, the 3rd best in the Championship.
Chances at West Ham
At the moment, West Ham’s goalkeeper strength is quite brittle with two highly inconsistent options in Adrian and Joe Hart. Come the end of the season, that number is likely to become one less when Joe Hart is sent back to Manchester City. With that in mind, Sam Johnstone will have a fantastic opportunity on his hands to impress in England’s top flight competition.
Adrian and Joe Hart have both committed some silly errors that have cost The Hammers dearly this season. It remains to be seen if Johnstone can cut down on those errors and solidify them defensively.
Should Moyes go all in?
The goalkeeper position will most certainly be a priority in the summer transfer window. Reports suggest that a fee in the region of £4million would be enough for The Hammers to land the shot-stopper from Manchester United.
In today’s market scenario, that price is definitely a bargain given that he is a young keeper who has recently stepped up a notch in the Championship. With the high double and triple figures featuring in the market, West Ham should consider this option given the value of the player and the quality associated with him.
Stats Courtesy: Whoscored
