Two goalkeepers who could replace outbound Lee Grant at Stoke City
Stoke City have been relegated from the Premier League and the club will now compete in the Championship next season. This could see a number of their first-team players move in search of pastures anew. One player touted to leave the club is the Potters’ goalkeeper Lee Grant.
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho is reportedly interested in taking the player to Old Trafford as he looks for a man to back-up David De Gea and Sergio Romero. To do so, United would have to shell out a fee of £1.5million.
Sam Johnstone has completed a move to West Bromwich Albion and Grant could be the one to replace him.
Here, we take a look at two replacements Stoke City could bring in for the former Sheffield Wednesday shot-stopper.
Adrian (West Ham United)
West Ham have brought in Lukasz Fabianski from Swansea City, which means Adrian will certainly drop down the pecking order. He has been with West Ham for five years now and has established himself as one of the Premier League’s top shot-stoppers.
He has made a total of 125 appearances for the club so far, keeping 35 clean sheets in that time. He is an excellent goalkeeper with brilliant reflexes in the six-yard box. During his time with the Hammers, Adrian has made a total of 436 saves.
However, he made just 19 appearances in the league last season, recording a total of 6 clean sheets and 69 saves. The presence of Joe Hart saw him restricted a bench role but the 31-year-old has a lot of experience and will certainly be a good fit for Stoke. The prospect of playing regular football could be enough to lure the Spanish stopper to the bet365 stadium.
Guillermo Ochoa (Standard Liege)
It’s still a mystery as to how the Mexican never earned a move to a big club. Guillermo Ochoa is one of the best shot-stoppers in Europe. He is a charismatic presence in the six-yard box and possesses cat-like reflexes. He is often praised for his performances for the Mexican national team and has put in impressive shifts for his country in the ongoing FIFA World Cup.
The 32-year-old currently represents Belgian outfit Standard Liege. He made a total of 11 appearances last season, averaging 2.27 saves per game. He also boasts an average claim success rate of 91%.
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The idea of playing in England could lure the Mexican to join the Potters, given that he still hasn’t represented one of Europe’s big clubs. Ochoa would be a massive signing for Stoke, who should aim for a swift return to the Premier League next season.