West Ham confirm Mads Hermansen signing: Shirt number, contract length, transfer fee revealed

West Ham United have announced the signing of goalkeeper Mads Hermansen from Leicester City.

The 25-year-old has put pen to paper on a five-year contract with a one-year option and has moved to the London Stadium for a reported £18m.

Hermansen will wear the No.1 shirt and becomes Graham Potter’s fifth signing of the summer transfer window after Callum Wilson, Kyle Walker-Peters, El Hadji Malick Diouf and Jean-Clair Todibo, the latter of whom has joined permanently after a season on loan.

“I’m happy to join West Ham United,” Hermansen told the club’s official website. “I’ve felt that West Ham would be a good fit for me and my style of play for a long time. It feels natural to be here - it was a very easy decision.

“I’ve heard a lot of great things about the club. I played West Ham twice last season and playing at London Stadium was a great experience. It’s an amazing stadium with loud, passionate fans. It’s what you dream of as a footballer and I can’t wait to play in front of 62,500 fans as a West Ham player.

“The fans can expect me to be brave and bring good energy to help the team in the best way I can. This is a great step in my career. I have huge ambitions and I can’t wait to get started.”

Holding the line ?️ pic.twitter.com/tYKy5ZGB9M

— West Ham United (@WestHam) August 9, 2025

Potter: “I have no doubt that Mads will be a fantastic addition”

Potter added: “We are pleased to welcome Mads to West Ham United. Mads has proved his quality at Leicester City with two impressive campaigns on a personal level over the last couple of years and the exciting thing is that we feel his best years are still ahead of him.

“His shot-stopping ability and distribution are strengths to his game, and he has a fantastic attitude with a clear desire to keep improving, which is something we place a high value in with our players.

“We have real strength in depth within the goalkeeping department at the moment, and I have no doubt that Mads will be a fantastic addition to the group moving forwards.”

Born in Odense, Hermansen began his professional career in his native Denmark with Brondby, winning the club’s Player of the Year Award in 2022 and making a total of 70 appearances across two-and-a-half seasons, including 11 outings in UEFA competitions.

Hermansen’s performances caught the attention of Leicester in the summer of 2023 and he kept 13 clean sheets across 44 matches in his debut campaign to help the Foxes win the Championship under former boss Enzo Maresca.

Welcome to West Ham, Hermansen ?@CorpayFX✍️✅ pic.twitter.com/7uucTGuWDr

— West Ham United (@WestHam) August 9, 2025

Hermansen to battle with Areola for West Ham starting spot

The Dane was unable to prevent Leicester from dropping straight back down to the second tier last season, keeping just one clean sheet and conceding 58 goals in 27 Premier League matches, but West Ham have given him a top-flight lifeline this summer.

Hermansen’s arrival at West Ham comes at a time when the Hammers are also making progress in a deal to sign Botafogo shot-stopper John, and the potential addition of two new goalkeepers at the London Stadium could spell danger for current first-choice Alphonse Areola.

The 32-year-old Frenchman played 26 times in the Premier League last season, but he has made a few notable mistakes in recent matches, including two errors in a 2-1 pre-season defeat to Manchester United a fortnight ago, raising questions about his long-term position between the sticks.

Hermansen and Areola are set to battle for a starting spot in Potter’s side when West Ham travel to newly-promoted Sunderland for their opening Premier League game of the 2025-26 season next Saturday.