West Bromwich Albion are set to secure the Wales international goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey from Crystal Palace in a deal that could cost them up to £3.5m, with Alan Pardew having earmarked Alex McCarthy of Queens Park Rangers as a direct replacement.
Hennessey, a former Wolverhampton Wanderers player, was signed as an understudy to Julián Speroni by the current West Brom manager, Tony Pulis, while he was in charge at Selhurst Park in January 2014 but has made only three Premier League starts in the period since.
The 28-year-old is desperate to gain regular first-team football before Wales’ likely participation in the Euro 2016 finals. With West Brom’s No1, Ben Foster, still recuperating from cruciate knee ligament damage in March, if the deal does go through Hennessey is likely to get his wish.
The England international is not expected to return to action until October at the earliest, by which time Hennessey would hope to have proved his credentials in the first team. Palace are willing to negotiate over a deal but are seeking the same fee as that required to trigger a relegation-based release clause in McCarthy’s contract at Loftus Road.
The 25-year-old made only four appearances for QPR last term, where he was understudy to Rob Green, following a £2.5m transfer from Reading.
Palace had considered moves for David Marshall at Cardiff City and Marseille’s Steve Mandanda, but are now targeting McCarthy with Speroni, the first-choice goalkeeper, having signed a new one-year contract.
