Why Neil Etheridge to West Ham United would be a top move
According to The Sun, West Ham could move for Cardiff City Goalkeeper Neil Etheridge if they fail to land former Hammer Darren Randolph.
The report suggests that the East Londoners are hoping to tempt the Ireland international back from Middlesbrough but the move seems to be unlikely as the deal with Boro may be more expensive than they thought.
In that case, they have made Etheridge their top target in order to strengthen their goalkeeping ranks with Randolph looking to be out of their reach.
Meanwhile, West Ham have slipped further down the table and are languishing at 17th position in the league table, with just a point above the relegation zone. Their 2-1 defeat to Leicester City in the weekend opened the door for David Moyes to return to the hot seat following the sacking of Manuel Pellegrini.
The Hammers enjoyed a successful spell for a brief period when they were within the reach of top-six places after matchday 7 despite being crushed 0-5 by Manchester City on the opening day of the season. And the credit for their short success mainly went to Lukasz Fabianski, who was excellent in his job.
The Polish international kept 3 clean sheets in the first 7 league games and therefore had to be on the sidelines after a hip injury forced him out of actions for months. His deputy Roberto could not keep up the good work and the team failed miserably.
Their defence too showed signs of weakness and unfortunately, the 33-year-old conceded a staggering 17 goals in the eight games he started. It was during that time West Ham’s fall to the bottom began.
Thereafter, Pellegrini decided to make a change and third-choice shot-stopper David Martin was deployed in between the sticks for the Hammers. Though he let 5 past him in four games, he also managed to keep a clean sheet on 2 occasions, which is a decent job for a person of his age.
However, Fabianski returned to the team last weekend but the team as a unit failed once again and look to be nowhere near their best. New manager Moyes has a lot of tinkering work to do in every position but the goalkeeping department needs the utmost attention.
Having said all these, Cardiff City shot-stopper Neil Etheridge would be a suitable backup for their first-choice goalkeeper. He has done well so far and has helped the Welsh side remain with the top ten int the Championship.
The Philippines international has not let the ball past him 4 times so far and looks to be getting stronger, initially after just making it to the bench. He was one of Bluebird’s most consistent performers at the top level.
The 29-year-old would be a better upgrade to Hammers’ second and third-choice keepers and would definitely bring some of his qualities to the West London Stadium if they manage to lure him soon.
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Verdict
The Sun suggests that Etheridge too will cost a decent amount by the Welsh side but this must be seen as an opportunity by West Ham to replace their old guards who are both ageing (33) and at the end of their careers.
Therefore, West Ham’s pursuit for Etheridge must go continue with full flow and succeed in adding him to their squad in January.