West Ham eye January move for Lazio goalkeeper Christos Mandas

West Ham United have enquired about signing Christos Mandas in January (h/t La Lazio Sia Monoi).

The ‘ambitious and determined‘ West Ham target has asked to leave Lazio in search of playing time and could find a new landing spot in London.

The Hammers are desperate for a reliable presence between the sticks.

Alphonse Areola’s poor performances last season prompted the club to sign Mads Hermansen, but he has been subpar.

In his four league appearances for West Ham, Hermansen has conceded 2.80 goals per game.

His distribution is equally poor, and his handling has been shoddy, forcing new manager Nuno Espirito Santo to turn back to Areola.

West Ham could sign Mandas to provide some stability. He has kept four clean sheets in nine Serie A appearances this term.

However, despite his impressive performances, Ivan Provedel has taken the starting berth and relegated him to the bench.

West Ham could be his next destination, but they are not alone in the race. Wolverhampton Wanderers, Getafe, Bournemouth and Fiorentina are tracking the Greek shot-stopper.

The Hammers could consider a six-month loan with an option to buy in January.

Lazio may prefer an outright sale, but West Ham need flexibility as they fix their goalkeeping department on the fly.

A loan would allow Nuno to assess whether Mandas can genuinely make a difference at the back, while giving the player the regular opportunities he craves.

If he impresses across the second half of the campaign, West Ham can then trigger a permanent move.

It’s a low-risk, high-upside approach and precisely the kind of shrewd business they should be targeting.