West Ham United will let Darren Randolph join Aston Villa in the January transfer window after Steven Gerrard’s side lodged an enquiry for the goalkeeper to move to Birmingham.
That’s according to the Evening Standard, who report the Villans have sounded out the 34-year-old switching claret-and-blue club. Gerrard is eager to add another option between the sticks, believing the Villans lack an adequate understudy for Emiliano Martinez.
Gerrard feels Randolph has the quality he is seeking to push Martinez to maintain his form. The Republic of Ireland international has also fallen further down the pecking order at the London Stadium this season.
David Moyes is yet to award Randolph any appearances over West Ham’s fixtures across all competitions. Instead, the Scot has favoured 36-year-old Lukasz Fabianski, with Paris Saint-Germain loanee Alphonse Areola the Poland ace’s primary backup.
Additionally, the Irons believe Areola is Fabianski’s long-term replacement. And as Moyes also has David Martin to call on if needed, West Ham will not stop Randolph joining Aston Villa if he is open to the transfer just two-years after re-signing the shot-stopper for £4m.
Aston Villa want Randolph in loan transfer from West Ham
TalkSPORT journalist Alex Crook has previously reported Aston Villa want to sign Randolph from West Ham in a loan transfer. He will move to Villa Park for the rest of the term before returning to east London. He will have one-year left on his £40k-a-week contract in June.
The Hammers gave Randolph a three-and-a-half-year contract upon re-joining the club in January 2020. He returned to the London Stadium three-years after joining Middlesbrough for £5m. The goalkeeper kept 39 clean sheets in 112 games for the Championship side.
Randolph has only featured 10 times since returning to east London, while keeping three clean sheets. So, Aston Villa will be hoping they sign the Randolph that Dael Fry lauded at Middlesbrough if they now reach an agreement on the terms of a transfer with West Ham.
“Daz is an unbelievable ‘keeper,” Fry once said, via quotes by Teesside Live. “He’s saved us a few times this season and sometimes goes a bit unnoticed. But Darren’s a great keeper and everything he’s done this season has been unbelievable.”
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