West Ham will target Cardiff City goalkeeper Neil Etheridge in the January transfer window, if they are unable to re-sign Darren Randolph from Middlesbrough, a report from The Sun has claimed.

The Hammers are keen to bring Randolph - who made 42 appearances in all competitions for the Premier League club between 2015 and 2017 - to the London Stadium, although there is some uncertainty about whether they will be able to afford the 32-year-old.

As a result, the latest reports have now revealed that West Ham could instead turn their attentions to Etheridge, as they look for an alternative to current number one Lukas Fabianski.

Etheridge joined Cardiff from Walsall in the summer of 2017, and has since gone onto firmly establish himself as the Bluebirds first choice between the posts since then, making 99 appearances in all competitions for the side from the Welsh capital.

There are still 18 months remaining on Etheridge's contract with Cardiff, meaning it is thought that he too is unlikely to be a cheap option for West Ham.

It has been a challenging start to the season for the Hammers, who are looking for a new manager following the sacking of Manuel Pellegrini in the aftermath of their 2-1 defeat to Leicester on Saturday, a result which has left the club 17th in the Premier League, just one point clear of the relegation zone.

The Verdict

I think Etheridge would be a brilliant signing for West Ham.

Despite Cardiff's relegation, the goalkeeper was absolutely outstanding for the Bluebirds in the Premier League last season, so there should be no qualms about him making the step back up to that level with West Ham.

You imagine Etheridge himself would be keen on a return to the top flight, and this could be a smarter move for West Ham than the one for Randolph, given Etheridge is three years younger than his Middlesbrough counterpart, meaning the Hammers could benefit from this signing for much longer.