In pursuit of a new goalkeeper, West Ham United are dipping into usually reliable waters, offering Antonin Kinsky a place in the boat once occupied by Tomas Soucek, Vladimir Coufal and El Hadji Malick Diouf.
Should Tottenham Hotspur’s £12.5 million shot-stopper complete a move across the capital, he will follow in the footsteps of three players who would make up most fans’ lists when asked to name the best pound-for-pound signings in West Ham United’s recent history.
Tomas Soucek has surely secured legendary status. Iron-clad right-back Vladimir Coufal brought a ‘warrior’s’ spirit to the London Stadium.
And while El Hadji Malick Diouf is a long way off hitting those heights – Ollie Scarles’ fine form has given Nuno a dilemma ahead of Saturday’s trip to Chelsea – the African Cup of Nations champion is a popular presence already on and off the pitch.
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The stage is set for Antonin Kinsky, then, to make a similarly positive impression.
West Ham are in talks to sign the Tottenham goalkeeper on an initial loan deal, with the option to make it permanent in the summer. After Adama Traore joined from Fulham for a cut-price £2 million on Wednesday, the Prague-born 22-year-old appears well-placed to become January signing number five.
As Traore reunites with Nuno, meanwhile, Kinsky would also find himself working again with a very familiar face.
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West Ham United target Antonin Kinsky shone at Slavia Prague with El Hadji Malick Diouf
Back in 2023/24, Slavia Prague claimed the Czech First League title by 14 points. That was despite losing Kinsky in the middle of the campaign.
This was also Diouf’s first season in the capital. The young left-back had arrived the previous summer from Tromso in Norway.
According to Transfermarkt, Kinsky and Diouf played 28 games together before the former was snapped up by Spurs to provide support for Guglielmo Vicario. Slavia would win 20 of those matches, while conceding 0.5 goals per game in league action.
They would even rack up 13 clean sheets when on the pitch together.
As a result of their excellent form, while Tottenham took a punt on Kinsky, Slavia received offers from Crystal Palace and Chelsea for Diouf. Five months later, he would join his former teammate in London. That £21 million move also saw Diouf replace Kinsky as the biggest export in Slavia’s history.
And when interviewed by Radio Prague International, it was clear that the goalkeeper left quite the impression on the left-back.
“When I see him play, I think to myself; ‘This goalkeeper doesn’t feel pressure’,” Diouf said of Kinsky during the summer of 2025. “He plays calm, has good technique, can play with his feet… he’s very cool.
“He’s got a big future ahead of him.”
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A future in which a reunion between two former Slavia stars appears, if not imminent, then very, very possible.
Of course, even the most optimistic West Ham fans will not be expecting Kinsky and Diouf to rack up such impressive numbers together in the Premier League. Slavia Prague have won six of the last seven Czech league titles, after all, and are used to dominating the domestic scene. Kinsky would join a Hammers side in a very different sort of predicament, and with the worst defensive record in the Premier League.
It is also far-from certain that the youngster would even command a place in Nuno’s XI. Alphonse Areola has had a mixed campaign, but Nuno values the Frenchman’s experience and physicality.
Yet, as he demonstrated during a ‘phenomenal’ debut performance in a 1-0 EFL Cup semi-final win over Liverpool 12 months ago, Kinsky is not one to let the pressure of the occasion get the better of him. ‘Calm’ and ‘cool’ were the words Diouf used. Delve a little deeper, and similar descriptions emerge time and again.
“He’s a bit like [Czech legend] Petr Cech in that he’s very goal-orientated,” said Karol Tvaroh, a Czech pundit who spoke to The Athletic last year. “He really has a good filter, which helps in this world of social media. It allows him not to listen to that noise and just to focus on his craft.
“But I think his biggest strength is how he can influence the team. That might be quite abstract, but I believe goalkeeping can have an aura. Kinsky’s saves calm his team-mates down because at times it seems like there’s no way he can concede.”
A scout for an unnamed Bundesliga club highlighted, having watched Kinsky in action, his seemingly fearless visage. He even drew comparisons with Manuel Neuer; a testament to his swagger as well as his sweeper-keeper qualities.
Nuno, though, is a manager who likes his goalkeepers to do the traditional stuff, and do it well.
Across the 2024/25 Premier League campaign, Matz Sels finished joint-top of the Golden Glove rankings at Nuno’s Nottingham Forest. He also averaged the most long balls of any goalkeeper, with his passes travelling the furthest distance on average.
Those Neuer-like tendencies may, therefore, be put to one side for the time being. But as Nuno welcomes Adama Traore to West Ham and Kinsky and Diouf look to pick up where they left off, West Ham will be hoping the familiarity breeds success.