In search of playing time, Alphonse Areola would be interested in a loan to Lorient for the second part of the season. This could allow him to keep his place in the France team and reassure Didier Deschamps about his physical condition.
A 2018 world champion soon to return to Ligue 1? Alphonse Areola is the new target of Lorient, which is looking for a goalkeeper for the second part of the season, to compensate for the serious injury of its holder, the Swiss Yvan Mvogo.
According to L’Equipe, Les Merlus have passed on a six-month loan offer for the former Paris Saint-Germain player. West Ham will have to agree to part ways with their goalkeeper, and it will be imperative for the two clubs to find common ground financially, as it is inconceivable that Lorient could afford the full salary of a Premier player. League.
🟠 Lorient targets blue goalkeeper Alphonse Areola!
In lack of playing time at West Ham, the tricolor goalkeeper would welcome a change of scenery.
The recruitment cell is working on a 6-month loan.
(@lequipe) pic.twitter.com/qGKLaYQzr5
– Irreducible Lorient (@news_fcl) January 24, 2023
Areola, the Blues in the viewfinder
But perhaps the most important thing is that the main interested party seems seduced by this prospect. Alphonse Areola would thus be sensitive to the idea of finding playing time. At West Ham, he is number 2 behind Lukasz Fabianski, and does not play in the Premier League. He has to settle for the other competitions, like the Europa League and the League Cup, which is always that, but his last appearance was on November 9.
In the background, there is of course the France team. Alphonse Areola is a player appreciated by Didier Deschamps, who made him his No. 3 for the last two adventures in the World Cup. Lately, the former Parisian was expected to start in Marchfor the next meetings of the Blues, with the international retirements of Hugo Lloris and Steve Mandanda, and the uncertainty about the state of health of Mike Maignan.
One of Areola’s main problems was his lack of playing time, and a loan to Lorient would no doubt be a good solution to reassure Didier Deschamps from this point of view. All that remains is to perform well in Ligue 1 to fend off competition from Alban Lafont (Nantes), Brice Samba (Lens) and Illan Meslier (Leeds).