After they had a fantastic campaign in the 2016/17 season, everybody expected that West Ham would fight for a place in the European competitions again.
Dimitri Payet, one of the best players in the league, stayed with the club, but West Ham has struggled to make an impact so far. They are only seven points above the relegation zone and it is already clear that it will be difficult to qualify for the European competitions.
With 35 goals conceded, West Ham is at the bottom of the league, with only four teams with worse record and goalkeepers Adrian and Raldolph received much criticism throughout the year.
Last weekend, Adrian conceded five goals in the FA Cup clash against Manchester City and it is clear that Bilic should act and buy a goalkeeper this January. Here is the top five realistic targets for West Ham:
5 Asmir Begovic
Of course, Asmir Begovic is a no-brainer. In every transfer window since his shock arrival to Chelsea, Begovic is expected to move clubs in order to gain more playing time. At Stoke, he was one of the best goalkeepers in the league, so it is surprising that he is happy to be a second fiddle to Thibaut Courtois. It is unlikely that Begovic will leave Chelsea this January, but West Ham should definitely try to lure him off Stamford Bridge.
4 Michel Vorm
Michel Vorm is another Premier League backup goalkeeper with immense experience. He had to replace injured Lloris in three Premier League matches this season and he did a spectacular job. Like in Begovic’s case, there is only a slight chance that he will move clubs this January, but West Ham must snap him up if they get the opportunity.
3 Scott Carson
The former Liverpool goalkeeper and an English international is currently the best goalkeeper in the Championship, with 14 clean sheets after 25 matches. It seems that Carson finally matured as a goalkeeper and he is ready to spend the rest of his career as a Premier League goalkeeper.
2 Daniel Bentley
Daniel Bentley is a 23-year-old Brentford goalkeeper who recorded 9 clean sheets in the Championship this season. He is regarded as one of the top talents in the league. He is confident, one-on-one specialist and he is ready to make the big move to one of the Premier League clubs.
1 Adam Davies
Adam Davies is another goalkeeper from the Championship. He also recorded 9 clean sheets for Barnsley and he is only one year older than Bentley. He was recently selected to represent Wales in World Cup qualifiers against Austria and Georgia. Although he stayed on the bench and he has yet to make a debut for Wales on senior level, his career is definitely on the rise.
