AS Roma's Spanish goalkeeper Pau Lopez passes the ball during a Serie A match against Lazio in January. (Getty Images)
According to Estadio Deportivo via Football Italia (h/t Daily Mail), AS Roma goalkeeper Pau Lopez is attracting interest from West Ham. Lopez moved to Serie A side Roma only last summer for £22.8m, following an excellent season with former side Real Betis. The 25-year-old shot-stopper impressed with 10 clean sheets from 33 La Liga matches for Betis, earning himself a move to Italy.
Unfortunately, Lopez has not been able to emulate his performances from last season since arriving at the Stadio Olimpico. He has managed just nine clean sheets despite appearing 34 times across all competitions for Roma. Lopez also had a stint in the Premier League, having played for Spurs in the 2016-17 season, on loan from former side Espanyol. However, he failed to make a single appearance for the senior side, with Hugo Lloris and Michel Vorm being ahead of him in the pecking order at Tottenham at the time. Despite that, Lopez underwent a drastic improvement in his performances and went on to become the No.1 keeper at Espanyol, keeping nine clean sheets in the very next season from 29 La Liga matches.
With Lopez’s displays in between the sticks improving with time, Premier League side West Ham have now shown an interest in him. (h/t Daily Mail)
A weak defence, and injury to first-choice keeper Lukasz Fabianski affected West Ham badly this season, with the Hammers conceding 50 goals from their 29 league games. They are now just two spots above the relegation zone and fighting for survival in the top flight. Apart from Fabianski, West Ham have veterans Darren Randolph and David Martin as backup. However, the two of them have just made seven league appearances together and are clearly not manager David Moyes’ favourites. That said, West Ham are clearly in need of an established goalkeeper and Lopez fits the bill perfectly.
Meanwhile, the report also claims that Roma will be ready to part with their No.1 custodian if they receive offers around £36m. Considering all this, it would be wise of West Ham to invest some money and rope in Lopez, who still has a lot of football left in him, if they wish to better their performances next season at least. His signing would add youth and quality to the Hammers’ goalkeeping department, while also adding more depth.
Apart from Fabianski, West Ham do not have an established keeper in their midst and Lopez’s arrival would only make them stronger. Moreover, he can give Fabianski competition for a starting role in the side, which, in turn, will help the Hammers if a move occurs for the Spaniard. Having proved himself already, Lopez, could, thus, prove to be an excellent signing for Moyes’ side.
