West Ham are reportedly on the verge of signing a new goalkeeper, with Fabrizio Romano recently confirming the club is in “advanced talks” for Botafogo’s John Victor.
The Hammers have already submitted a £7 million bid for the Brazilian, and the move seems to be heading in the right direction.
Victor’s track record has been impressive: his performances at the 2025 Club World Cup were a standout, and domestically, he’s amassed 83 appearances and kept 36 clean sheets over the past two seasons. This form helped Botafogo to a domestic treble in 2024, including winning the Série A title, Copa Libertadores, and Taça Rio.
But despite this solid resume, Victor’s recent display for Botafogo may give West Ham fans cause for concern.
John Victor Makes Huge Error Against Cruzeiro
Over the weekend, Botafogo suffered a 2-0 defeat at home to Cruzeiro, a result that saw them drop to seventh in the Brazilian Serie A standings. While the defeat was disappointing, it was the manner of the goals that will worry Victor’s potential new club.
Christian scored the opening goal in the 23rd minute, but it was a huge mistake from Victor that played a pivotal role.
In the build-up, the Brazilian keeper casually threw the ball out, almost netball-style, directly into the path of the opposition. Cruzeiro quickly capitalised on the error, launching a swift attack. After some smooth passing, the ball was whipped into the box for Christian, who had the simple task of poking home into an empty net after Victor misjudged the situation.
Victor, who had come off his line to collect the ball, seemed to hesitate and watched as it passed him by. With no attempt to grab the ball, he left the goal wide open for Christian to score.
Watch John Victor’s Howler Here:
It was a moment to forget for Victor, and social media was quick to react.
One fan on X wrote: “He’s terrible.” Another added, “Of course, this is only one moment, but it makes me wonder if he will struggle to oust Areola, who’s woeful!”
However, not everyone shared the same pessimism. One Botafogo fan defended the keeper: “He’s the best keeper in South America. Has been amazing for us. Was about to become an idol before this transfer news came out. He’s with his head already outside of the club.”
For West Ham fans, this moment of uncertainty could leave them hoping that Victor’s performance was just a rare blip in what has otherwise been a solid career.
The Hammers will be hoping for more consistent displays if he does make the move to East London.
