West Ham can sign Alphonse Areola replacement for bargain fee, Mads Hermansen exit surely on cards

Mads Hermansen has a shocking record…

He has to be the worst-ever signing for West Ham in the Premier League…

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Within a few games, he ended up giving the number one berth to Areola and the Frenchman has since been the first-choice keeper for the Hammers.

Christos Mandas will be an upgrade on Alphonse Areola

West Ham are open to parting ways with Hermansen in January despite him joining for relatively big money in the summer.

This seems to be as clear a sign as any that Nuno is being backed and funds are being raised in order to bring in new players.

Lazio keeper Christos Mandas is a target ahead of the January window and he has been earmarked as a potential Hermansen replacement.

Mandas is the perfect replacement for Areola…

Not upgrading on Areola will see West Ham getting relegated!

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Looking at the stats, it’s pretty evident that not only is Mandas a better shot stopper, but he is also calmer than Areola in possession.

He’s in the 98th percentile for crosses stopped among keepers in Europe’s top five leagues and ranks highly in a number of other metrics, including defensive actions outside the penalty area and average distance of defensive actions. [Fbref]

Do West Ham need to sign Mandas in January?

Currently, the Hammers look pretty stacked in their goalkeeping department, but Hermansen’s exit may see them dip into the market for a new keeper.

A new striker and defender are understood to be the priority positions for Nuno, and they’re likely to be worked on first before moving for a new keeper.

In case West Ham do sign a keeper, bringing in Mandas is a no-brainer, as it will put pressure on Areola to get better, and if he does not, the Greece international could become their new number one.

According to Give Me Sport, he is available for a cut-price fee in January due to his lack of appearances for Lazio.

Wolves are also understood to be keen on the 24-year-old, so the Irons will have to act quickly in order to secure his services.