Republic of Ireland international goalkeeper Darren Randolph looks set for a return to the Premier League with his old club West Ham United.
The 32-year-old is currently plying his trade with Championship side Middlesbrough. Jonathan Woodgate's side sit fifth from bottom in the table with just four wins from their opening 22 games.
The North Yorkshire outfit are just three points above the relegation zone in England's second tier, with The Irish Sun reporting today their goalkeeper could be about to complete a move back to the Premier League.
Randolph himself left West Ham in 2017 after the arrival of Joe Hart to the club.
Asked recently about the speculation surrounding a January move for his shot-stopper, Boro boss Woodgate remained coy.
“That’s the right word ‘linked’.
“I’ll let you know when we’ve got some news on that.
“At the minute we're not in January so when we cross that bridge I’ll let you know.”
18 November 2019; Darren Randolph of Republic of Ireland during the UEFA EURO2020 Qualifier match between Republic of Ireland and Denmark at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Photo by Eóin Noonan/SportsfileWhen asked if his side will have to sell players to supply funds in January, Woodgate said that wasn't necessarily the case.
"No, I wouldn't say that.
“We'll see what happens. We do need a few reinforcements but we've got Financial Fair Play so let's see.”
Randolph has been sidelined with a thigh injury since last month.
The Bray man made his full international debut in 2012 in a 4-1 win over Oman, ultimately becoming a mainstay in the Irish goal to fill a void left by Shay Given after his retirement.
Randolph was a key member of the Irish squad at EURO 2016 and has been crucial in Mick McCarthy's side as they bid to qualify for EURO 2020 with a play-off against Slovakia next year.
Win that tie and the Irish team will face either Northern Ireland or Bosnia for a place in next summer's tournament.
Randolph has previously played at club level with Charlton Athletic, Motherwell, and Birmingham City among other loan spells.
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