Middlesbrough Edging Closer to £4.5m West Ham Goalkeeper Darren Randolph After Joe Hart Loan
Third choice West Ham goalkeeper Darren Randolph has taken matters into his own hands in the transfer window, with the Ireland international on the cusp of a £4.5m move to Middlesbrough after Joe Hart's moved to the Irons on loan.
The Daily Mail reports that the starting goalkeeper for Ireland is not going to spend his time sitting on the bench at the London stadium, with Hart set to be named as number one while Spanish stopper Adrian will be second choice.
Sources suggest the two clubs are in advanced talks, with a deal imminent for the 30-year-old, who does not mind a drop in divisions to the Championship as long as he is in the eye of Republic of Ireland manager Martin O'Neill with the World Cup in 2018.
Despite featuring 27 times for the first team last season in a mixture of Premier League action and cup fixtures, Randolph knows playing time will be hard to come by with the signing of Hart, who will also be keen for maximum starts to ensure his place on the plane for next year's World Cup.
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Hart spent last season on loan at Torino to mixed success, with talk of a repeat deal this summer before the Hammers acted quickly to get their man. Couple that with the impending £16m signing of Mexican international Javier Hernandez from Bayer Leverkusen, and West Ham show they mean business with two key acquisitions.
Conceding 64 goals in the Premier League last season, Slaven Bilić was quick to ensure he has a more reliable shot stopper in Hart after leaking so many goals last season. With Randolph and Adrian sharing the gloves last year, consistency is the key and West Ham have improved on that front after the astute signing of the England number one.
