Why West Ham signing Ondrej Kolar would be a smart piece of business
According to claims from football website Claret & Hugh (h/t MSN), West Ham have been linked with a move for Slavia Prague goalkeeper Ondrej Kolar ahead of the January window.
As per the report, the 26-year-old’s impressive displays in the Champions League and Europa League have caught the eye of the club’s scouts, with the Hammers on the lookout for a long-term replacement for current No.1 Lukasz Fabianski.
Profile
A youth exponent of Slovan Liberec, Ondrej Kolar started his professional career with his hometown club back in 2013. Despite being held in high regard due to his potential, he tallied just 32 appearances over five seasons, spending time on loan at Varnsdorf in the lower divisions.
Kolar joined heavyweights Slavia Prague in January 2018, becoming the most expensive goalkeeper in the history of the Czech First League. He quickly established himself as the undisputed first-choice shot-stopper at his new club and played a key role as Slavia made it all the way through to the quarter-finals of the 2018-19 UEFA Europa League.
The 26-year-old has made a stunning start to the 2020-21 campaign after impressing in the group stages of the Champions League last term. Kolar has managed an astonishing 8 clean sheets in 11 league games for Slavia so far, conceding just 3 goals in the process. The shot-stopper’s stellar rise in recent seasons led to him earning his first senior international cap for the Czech Republic last year.
Kolar looks like the ideal successor to Fabianski
West Ham aren’t really crying out for a new goalkeeper at the moment with Lukasz Fabianski firmly established as the No.1 between the sticks. The veteran Pole has looked really formidable this term after an injury-ravaged campaign last time around.
However, with Fabianski set to turn 36 in April and out of contract at the end of the season. West Ham need to line up some younger alternatives to replace their current No.1. Back-up goalkeepers Darren Randolph (33) and David Martin (34) are also nearing the twilight of their careers, with the latter’s contract also due to expire next summer.
Putting things into context, West Ham shouldn’t hesitate to take a punt on Ondrej Kolar in January or summer. The Czech Republic international has backed up his strong domestic form in his homeland with some quality displays in the Champions League and Europa League. That clearly underlines his potential to deliver the goods against elite opposition in surroundings more competitive than the Czech First League.
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Verdict
The Hammers have recently had a lot of success in raiding the Czech market. Tomas Soucek and Vladimir Coufal have both established themselves as key cogs in David Moyes’ side following their move to East London from Slavia Prague. Ondrej Kolar, too, looks like a real talent making a name for himself in one of the lesser fancied leagues in Europe and he could well be the next big bargain for West Ham.
