According to the reports, Arsenal goalkeeper David Ospina has emerged as a shock target for Turkish club Fenerbahce. The Colombian shot-stopper has been the Gunners’ No. 1 in the Champions League this season, but has expressed his desire for regular action and the Yellow Canaries have made an approach. However, the Super Lig giants will have to wait till the summer to sign the 28-year old, with Arsenal not willing to sell Ospina in the middle of the season with no replacement lined up.
Ospina joined Arsenal from French club Nice in 2014, for a fee of £3 million, but has struggled to establish himself as the first-choice for the North Londoners. However, he has been showing good form in his limited appearances in Europe, having kept two clean sheets and with a claimed success of 100% in 6 games.
If the move does materialise, Arsene Wenger and Arsenal will have to bring in suitable replacements and here we look at three goalkeepers the Gunners could look to bring in:
The Slovenia international has been the sole bright light in a period of doom and gloom for Inter Milan over the past few years and hasn’t let the managerial merry go round at the Giuseppe Meazza affect his performances.
The 32-year old has appeared in all 18 Serie A games for the Nerazzurri this term and has kept five clean sheets. Despite his team’s struggles, Handanovic has held his own in the goal, averaging 3.11 saves per game. He has also shown his command in the box claiming 94% of the balls he has attempted. His distribution from the back has also been quite decent, having found his intended target with 76% success rate.
At 32, Handanovic has plenty of experience playing at the top level and has proven his credentials time and again for Inter. However, with his current contract running until 2019, it might prove tricky to prize him away from the Italian giants.
The Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper moved on loan to Sevilla this term due to manager Unai Emery’s preference to play Alphonse Areola in goal but has struggled to feature for the Spanish outfit.
The 29-year old has made just two appearances in the La Liga for Sevilla, one of which ended in a red card. However, he has proven himself in the past, having won titles aplenty during his time in France. Sirigu is well known for his composure in goal, his reflexes and his strength in the penalty area. A consistent performer for the Les Parisiens during his time, he has been regarded as one of the best Italian goalkeepers of the current times and had been heralded as Gianluigi Buffon’s natural successor in the Italian National Team until recently.
His contract with PSG runs until June 2018 and given the French outfit’s options in Areola and Kevin Trapp, Sirigu might be easy to get for the Gunners and with age on his side, he could prove to be a valuable addition in the longer run.
The Sunderland youngster has turned heads with his eye-catching displays for the Black Cats this term. Having gotten his chances due to an injury to Vito Mannone in September, Pickford has been the only silver lining for David Moyes’ side in a faltering season that seems to be heading towards relegation.
Having made 18 appearances in the Premier League, Pickford has managed to keep just 2 clean sheets but has made the most number of saves (58) in the English top-flight, averaging 3.63 saves per game. The 22-year old has impressed everyone with his alertness in goal and his excellent reflexes that have helped the Black Cats maintain a respectable scoreline in many games this term.
He has a long time left on his current deal with Sunderland, running until the summer of 2020. However, with his team facing relegation, there are good chances he may want to stay in the Premier League and a chance to play for one of the biggest clubs in the world may prove to be a little too tempting for Pickford if Arsenal comes calling.
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