West Ham boss Slaven Bilic has moved to end rumours linking the club with a new goalkeeper in the summer transfer window as he insisted that he is very happy with the options he currently has at his disposal.
Speaking in his regular column for London Evening Standard ahead of West Ham's Monday night fixture against league leaders and champions-elect Chelsea, Bilic suggested that reported moves for players like Asmir Begovic were way off the mark.
Darren Randolph has been West Ham's #1 goalkeeper since November when he was inserted into the lineup after some less than convincing displays from Adrian and having stood out when selected in cup matches, and he has barely put a foot wrong since as while the Hammers' results haven't been as good as last season, the goalkeeper is certainly not responsible.
Bilic was adamant that he has absolutely no interest in discussing the goalkeeping situation or any possible signings in the position.
We have been linked with many players in the last three transfer windows, including Chelsea goalkeeper Asmir Begovic.
In those three windows, though, I have said a few times that the only position in the team I have absolutely no interest in discussing is the goalkeeping spot.
I was happy — and I am still happy — with Adrian and Darren Randolph.
If you ask me whether they will both still be here next season, I would say yes.
You can never be 100 per cent certain in football, of course, and maybe one of them will knock on the door and say he is unhappy but even if that happens, I will try to persuade them to stay at the club.
Those words will come as a boost to Randolph, as West Ham are a club that are regularly linked with signings, largely due to their owners' fondness of linking them to those signings.
Not only is it comforting for the Bray man, but also for Irish fans as Randolph is the only Irish goalkeeper currently playing regular Premier League football.
Since replacing Shay Given in the first half of Ireland's memorable win over Germany in 2015, Randolph has made the Irish starting goalkeeper spot his own and, similar to his club situation, has yet to do anything to suggest that he doesn't belong there.
While Kieran Westwood has been in superb form for Sheffield Wednesday this season, you get the feeling that the only thing that could remove Randolph from his place in the Irish side would be if he were to find himself starved of first team action, but thankfully judging by Bilic's comments that won't be happening anytime soon.
[via London Evening Standard]
