Arsenal shot-stopper Petr Cech will be hanging up his boots at the end of the season. Cech has been an iconic figure in the Premier League, having made 443 appearances in which he collected 202 clean sheets.
Despite the acquisition of Bernd Leno from Bayer Leverkusen during the summer transfer window, Cech started this season as the first choice goalkeeper under the tutelage of new manager Unai Emery.
However, the former Chelsea star suffered a hamstring injury in the match against Watford in September, which enabled summer signing Leno to get into the starting line-up and cement his place.
With Cech retiring and David Ospina likely to be signed permanently by Napoli in the summer, the Gunners would be left with Matt Macey and Emiliano Martinez as the back-ups to Leno next season.
Both of them are inexperienced and any injury to Leno could leave Emery in a precarious situation.
It is likely that the Gunners will be in the market for a goalkeeper and here are three players whom Arsenal could target in the summer as Leno’s competition or even as a serious back-up.
Stoke City custodian Jack Butland would be a superb signing for the north London based outfit. He has kept 11 clean sheets in 33 Championship appearances so far this term and on an average, he has made 2.8 saves per game.
Butland has invaluable Premier League experience and has proven himself in the past. His shot-stopping is excellent and the way he commands his area will be an additional boost with Arsenal’s defence lacking leaders at the moment. The international goalie has what it takes and will not be a bad option to consider in the summer.
Burnley custodian Nick Pope lost his regular place between the sticks after dislocating his shoulder last year. Sean Dyche also has Tom Heaton and Joe Hart on his books and Pope might be shipped out of Turf Moor in the summer.
Despite being back to his full fitness, Pope is yet to feature for the Clarets in the league this season. A report by the Sun has linked him with a move to the Emirates Stadium and owing to his quality, he would be a good buy for Arsenal.
Real Madrid’s 32-year-old Keylor Navas would be a good option to fill Cech’s shoes next season and to also guide Arsenal’s young keepers in the right direction. He is a battle-hardened goalkeeper with immense experience and has a few years of football still left in him.
Currently, Thibaut Courtois is being preferred in the ranks of Los Blancos and Navas has been handed merely 3 games in La Liga. The three-time Champions League winner could look for an exit at the end of the season and a stint in the lucrative Premier League could well be too good to resist for the Costa Rican.
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