West Ham face snub after controversial transfer collapse with Graham Potter on brink of sack with pair of nightmare flops
Below is a summary of the full article. Click here for the full version or go back to LFC Live.net.
Credit: Hasan Karim - Breaking Media, Imago, Manjit Narotra
Oliver Walton
Thu 28 August 2025 13:24, UK
West Ham’s shoddy start to the new season could be about to get even worse if a transfer target snubs their approach and leaves Graham Potter with two poor goalkeeping options.
The Hammers were poor in each of their first two league games of the new campaign, with a 3-0 opening day defeat to newly-promoted Sunderland followed up by a 5-1 thrashing at the hands of Chelsea on Friday (22 August).
Graham Potter’s side were then beaten 3-2 by fellow top-flight strugglers Wolves in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday (26 August), with ugly scenes after the loss that saw captain Jarrod Bowen needing to be restrained from their angry away support.
Many of West Ham’s woes so far this term have been down to both of their goalkeepers, with summer signing Mads Hermansen dropping clangers against Sunderland and Chelsea, while Alphonse Areola was at fault for two of Wolves’ strikes as he failed to react quickly enough from rebounds.
Football Insider revealed earlier this month that West Ham had left Botafogo keeper John Victor in limbo after they pulled out of a move for him at the very last and instead pursued Hermansen’s signature.
According to talkSPORT (27 August), the Irons are now back in for Victor after the Dane’s shaky start to life at the club, but he could be set to reject them and, in turn, leave Potter facing the music sooner rather than later.
Credit: Imago
The Brazilian stopper’s failed move led many to question West Ham’s transfer conduct, as he was already at the airport in Rio de Janeiro to travel over to London and complete the move when they pulled the plug on the deal [The Sun].
MORE FOOTBALL INSIDER STORIES
Potter’s side instead went after Leicester’s Hermansen and soon signed him for a reported fee of £20million [BBC], but they are clearly already regretting that decision after his lacklustre performances in the first two league games of the new campaign.
Hermansen was poor against Sunderland as he allowed Wilson Isidor’s shot to go under him to make it 3-0, while he was susceptible from set-pieces against Chelsea and arguably at fault for two goals, so it certainly has not been a dream start so far.
Potter saw fit to rotate in midweek as Areola was thrust in-between the sticks, but his performance also left a lot to be desired and will have likely confirmed the Hammers’ plans to bring in another goalkeeper before the deadline.
Football Insider recently revealed that Fenerbahce are in talks to sign Victor after his failed move to West Ham, and the East London outfit will surely be wary of him snubbing them to join a different club after they decided not to sign him at the start of August.
The 29-year-old is surely unlikely to want to join the Irons after they effectively embarrassed him at the last minute in previous negotiations, and so Potter could well be stuck with Hermansen and Areola for the rest of the season.
That pair have already shown their faults this season and, like the rest of the team, seem set to struggle as the campaign wears on with the former-Chelsea man in charge, and so more mishaps and clangers from either could certainly lead to him being sacked very soon with West Ham now looking at Potter replacements.
Credit: Imago
The Hammers’ board are facing a real ‘stick or twist’ situation right now, as they will want to bring more players in to improve the squad long-term, yet will know that backing Potter means they have to give him more time to let new signings gel before he is relieved of his duties.
It would seem somewhat premature to sack him after just three games of the new campaign, but Bowen’s fan clash at Wolves proves that even the most calm and collected players know they are under pressure to perform and turn the tide in an instant.
Graham PotterWest Ham managerial statsGames managed22Wins5Draws5Losses12Points-per-game0.91
West Ham co-owner David Sullivan is blaming Potter for their early-season woes, yet the club still look set to give him what he wants in the latter stages of the window after they agreed a £40m fee with Southampton to sign midfielder Matheus Fernandes [BBC].
The fact they are progressing with deals points to the 50-year-old being given more time to get his side out of the mire, but a potential snub from keeper Victor and then more mistakes from Hermansen or Areola could be the final nail in the coffin for his sacking.