Why West Ham should sign Asmir Begovic in January

West Ham want to sign Bournemouth stopper Asmir Begovic in January, according to the Sun.

The Hammers have been very thin in the goalkeeping department since No. 1 Lukasz Fabianski’s injury in September. And Roberto has been a disaster in place of the Pole. David Martin took the Spaniard’s place for the last two games but he hasn’t looked convincing either.

Former Chelsea goalkeeper Asmir Begovic has fallen out of favour at Bournemouth since joining them in 2017. The 32-year-old is currently on loan at Qarabag in Azerbaijan but he will be free to join another club when his deal expires on December 31st.

Begovic, who was the No. 1 between the sticks for Stoke City, made a move to Chelsea after the Potters were relegated. He often served as a backup at Stamford Bridge and made just 21 appearances.

In the summer of 2017, he signed for Bournemouth and served as the main keeper there. But a dip in form pushed him down the pecking order. After losing his spot, he went out on loan and is currently playing for Qarabag. In 15 games so far this term, he has racked up six clean sheets while conceding 15 goals.

Begovic, though, is a proven commodity in the Premier League. In 252 appearances in the English top tier, he has managed to accumulate 61 clean sheets and 3 penalty saves. He has also been disciplined between the sticks and has no red cards to his name. Although he has made 27 errors leading to goals, Begovic has made a name for himself as a solid goalkeeper. Interestingly, he is also one of the very few keepers who have scored a goal in the Premier League.

In November 2013, Begovic became the fifth goalkeeper to score an English top-flight goal, scoring from 97.5 yards against Southampton.

Since making his Premier League debut in 2009, Begovic has ample experience after almost a decade. In the 2012–13 season, he played every league match for Stoke and won the club’s Player of the Year award.

Verdict

There’s no reason why this wouldn’t be a really good signing for the Hammers. Begovic is a vastly experienced Premier League goalkeeper, with 252 appearances to his name in the competition.

Despite being sent on loan to Qarabag, he is playing at a Champions League level. He is a commanding presence and more than capable of fixing West Ham’s troubles.