Reported Everton and West Ham target left out of squad; excited by Premier League move

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Crystal Palace and West Ham United target Iago Herrerin has welcomed interest from the Premier League and is excited by the prospect of proving himself away from Spanish soil, according to Basque-based publication Deia.

After 13 years at the San Mames, one of the longest-serving footballers in La Liga is looking for a fresh start.

The veteran goalkeeper has fallen behind the exceptional Unai Simon in Athletic’s pecking order and, after making just four starts in 2019/20, has little interest in wasting another season on the sidelines.

Athletic coach Gaizka Garitano has already admitted he won’t stand in the 32-year-old’s way if he is offered the chance to leave the rolling hills of the Basque country behind, with only ten months remaining on his contract.

And Deia reports Crystal Palace and West Ham are both interested.

While first-team football would hardly be easier to come by in England – Vicente Guaita and Lukasz Fabianski are firmly established at Selhurst Park and London Stadium respectively – Herrerin is intrigued by the prospect of making a name for himself in the Premier League.

“He wants a new destination and that is why we hope something will soon be agreed for him to be able to leave Athletic,” Garitano tells El Desmarque of a man who has also been linked with Everton (Marca).

Herrerin hasn’t featured in any of his club’s pre-season friendlies and was left out of the squad for the La Liga opener this weekend – a 2-0 defeat to surprise package Granada.

At Everton, meanwhile, Jordan Pickford silenced the critics with his finest performance in recent memory during Sunday’s 1-0 win at Tottenham.

But there remains a worrying lack of competition for the England number one at Goodison Park. The unproven Joao Virginia was on the bench in north London, while Jonas Lossl doesn’t appear to be a key part of Carlo Ancelotti’s plans.