West Ham 'reach verbal agreement' to complete fifth summer signing

Vishal Bhawani

West Ham 'reach verbal agreement' to complete fifth summer signing image

Brazilian goalkeeper John Victor set to join West Ham United as transfer nears final stages

West Ham are not slowing down this summer. After adding defenders and a striker to Graham Potter’s squad, the club is now closing in on its fifth signing — and this time, it's between the sticks.

According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, the Hammers have reached a verbal agreement to sign goalkeeper John Victor from Brazilian side Botafogo.

The 29-year-old is expected to replace veteran Lukasz Fabianski, who left the club earlier this summer.

The deal is reportedly worth around €10 million, with personal terms already agreed. All that remains now is paperwork and a medical before the move is officially confirmed. Or as Romano would say — here we go... Almost.

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Who is John Victor? The potential new West Ham signing

John Victor may not be a household name in England, but he’s built a steady career across Brazil and Spain.

Born in Sao Paulo, he started with Santos, made his pro debut in 2020, and later played for Internacional and Valladolid before moving to Botafogo.

At Botafogo, he quickly became first-choice and impressed during the Club World Cup. Despite battling a muscle injury earlier this year, he recovered in time to feature in the Copa Libertadores and show his shot-stopping quality.

In total, Victor has 85 appearances and 36 clean sheets for Botafogo. That’s not bad for a guy who's often flown under the radar — or should we say, under the crossbar?

West Ham had also explored moves for Zion Suzuki and Mads Hermansen, but it now seems they've found their man.

With Alphonse Areola still at the club, fans might expect some healthy competition in goal — and maybe fewer heart-stopping moments from the backline.

The deal isn’t signed yet, but if all goes well, the Hammers will have a new man guarding the net very soon.

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