West Ham United are weighing up a shocking move for Southampton goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale despite his woeful record in the Premier League.
According to The Times, the England goalkeeper is one of several players expected to leave Southampton at the end of the season, with the Saints set to return to the Championship.
The 26-year-old only joined Southampton from Arsenal last summer, setting the Saints back an initial £18 million.
The South Coast club could make a profit on Ramsdale, who should be available for around £20m this summer.
The Stoke on Trent-born shot-stopper wants to retain his Premier League status to boost his chances of keeping his spot in the national team squad.
After rotting on the bench at Arsenal, Ramsdale joined Southampton, hoping to get his complicated career back on track but it didn’t go according to plan.
They were relegated from the Premier League with a record seven games to spare after picking up just ten points from 31 games and shipping in 74 goals.
West Ham shouldn’t entertain the idea of signing Ramsdale
This will be the third time Ramsdale has been relegated from the Premier League, having previously gone down with Sheffield United and Bournemouth.
Somehow, that doesn’t deter West Ham, who are looking to take the punt on the goalkeeper as they look to revamp their roster this summer.
Veteran Lukasz Fabianski turns 40 next week, and while he began the year as first choice, Alphonse Areola has since taken over.
The 32-year-old still has two years remaining on his current deal, but after his recent performances, the Hammers may be better off bringing in an upgrade.
Ramsdale doesn’t check that box. Aside from being a relegation specialist, his shot-stopping abilities are greatly over-exaggerated.
Despite being six years younger than Areola, he’s not an upgrade on the Frenchman.
Ramsdale has been linked with a return to Bournemouth, and if the West Ham decision-makers have any sense, they’d sit back and let that deal go through.
There are far better options on the market West Ham can target.
Burnley’s James Trafford is there for the taking. If they’re serious about pushing up the log next season, the talented keeper should be their priority target.