While it appeared that Darren Randolph was set to rejoin West Ham during the transfer window, movement on the deal has been slow in the past few days. The Premier League side have agreed a fee with Middlesbrough, with the player having gone through his medical.
And yet, there has been no confirmation of any deal. This very much appears to on West Ham's side, as Boro boss Jonathan Woodgate indicated earlier today.
He said the move has been held due to the medical and even indicated that the deal may yet fall apart:
Randolph is the longest medical in history. It is unbelievable. Let’s see what happens over the next 48 hours.
He is a professional and is an outstanding keeper for us. He will be fine.
Is he going there to be No2? He is a No1. He is a top keeper. He hasn’t gone yet so let’s see.
Middlesbrough were thought to be keen to hang onto the Republic of Ireland international only for the player himself to push for the move. Woodgate's comments suggest that they are certainly still open to retaining him.
West Ham are in the market for some competition for Lukasz Fabianski, with the Pole's injuries this season having proved hugely detrimental to their season. Roberto and David Martin have played in his absence, with neither inspiring much confidence.
It is believed that concerns over Randolph's own fitness problems is what is holding up the deal, with the 32-year old missing a number of weeks due to a thigh issue. David Moyes' side would be weary to take on another injury prone goalkeeper as it would put them back to square one.
Despite this, it is still expected that the deal will go through in the coming days.
This could be an excellent move for Randolph if he is given consistent playing time, something that is no guarantee. With a huge Euro 2020 playoff on the horizon, Mick McCarthy will want the player to be as sharp as possible.
