New Arsenal boss Unai Emery may be considering investing in a new goalkeeper this summer as Petr Cech is 36 years old now and did not have the best of campaigns last season. With a number of top-class shot stoppers being linked with a move away from their clubs over the next couple of months, here are three players who Emery may have his eye on.
Jack Butland (Stoke)
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Stoke’s Jack Butland is expected to leave the Championship club this summer for in the region of £40 million as he looks to remain in the Premier League. The 25-year-old is currently on duty for England, where they have world cup 2018 winner odds of 14/1 in Russia. If the Englishman does get a chance to start between the sticks during the tournament, and he impresses, there is likely to be a number of big clubs queueing for his services. The Potters man has been one of the most consistent ‘keepers in the Premier League over the past couple of seasons and, given his age, he could be a fantastic investment for the Gunners. He has all the attributes to be not just one of the best in England but also Europe and that may come as he gets a little bit older. The asking price is the only thing which may put the club off, however, whoever Arsenal choose to go for, they are unlikely going to come cheap, given that so many clubs are fighting for the same players.
Bernd Leno (Bayer Levekusen)
There are some reports suggesting that Arsenal have made a bid for Bayer Leverkusen’s Bernd Leno, however, no agreement between the two clubs has been made. The German has been with the Bundesliga side since 2011, where he has gone on to make over 300 appearances for them. Unfortunately the 26-year-old missed out on the World Cup squad but that is largely down to the German national team having so much depth in that position. Leno has Champions League experience and appeared during the Confederations Cup in 2017 where he helped his national team win the competition in Russia. The German should not have too many problems adapting to the Premier League and he could prove to have the same impact his compatriot Jens Lehmann did in the 2000s.
Jan Oblak (Atletico Madrid)
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Atletico Madrid’s Jan Oblak is one of the best ‘keepers in Europe who is being linked with a move away from his current side this summer, with the likes of Liverpool and Roma also thought to be very keen on his services. The Spanish club signed the Slovenian from Benfica in 2014 and that has proved to be good business over the last four years as he has helped them to win the Europa League and reach the final of the Champions League in that period. It appears he is now looking for a fresh challenge in his career and given what he has achieved already in a major European league, there is very little risk with the player.
Keep an eye on this site for all the latest Arsenal transfer news over the next couple of months.
