Aston Villa and West Ham United have been blocked from signing Bournemouth goalkeeper Asmir Begovic in January, as the Cherries are refusing to allow the Bosnian to join a fellow relegation rival.
Begovic has dropped down the pecking order at the Vitality Stadium, with 21-year-old Aaron Ramsdale occupying the number one spot for Eddie Howe's side this season.
Villa and West Ham are both in need of a goalkeeper in the January transfer window, but the Daily Star reports that the pair have been told to look elsewhere by the Cherries, who are not willing to strengthen their direct rivals by handing them the shot-stopper.
The Villans were dealt a huge blow by the news that Tom Heaton has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a knee injury he sustained in the recent victory over Burnley, while the Hammers may view Begovic as an excellent second-choice behind
Fabiański has missed a huge chunk of the campaign with a hip problem, which coincided with West Ham's dramatic tumble towards the relegation zone.
The Irons' backup shot-stopper Roberto received criticism for his performances between the sticks, and his error-prone nature will have encouraged David Moyes to recruit a more capable goalkeeper, should Fabiański suffer from another injury.
Begovic spent the first half of the season on loan at Azerbaijani outfit Qarabag, where he made ten league appearances, and five in the Europa League. The Bosnia international has spoken out over his determination to leave Bournemouth, stating he is prepared to take a pay-cut in search of first-team football.
He said: “I did that to play for Qarabag and I’ll do it again. But it can’t be just down to the player. Clubs have to help.”
Source : 90min