Arsenal
Arsene Wenger Confident Of Pulling Off Audacious Swoop On Liverpool
Arsene Wenger is confident he can lure Pepe Reina to the Emirates with the Arsenal boss preparing to test Liverpool’s resolve with a £5m bid this summer.
As we approach the opening of the summer window clubs will be intensifying their efforts in the transfer market so we’ll bring you all the latest news and gossip. Today, Arsenal are linked with Pepe Reina.
Image: Express
Arsene Wenger is confident he can lure Pepe Reina to the Emirates with the Arsenal boss preparing to test Liverpool’s resolve with a £5m bid, according to reports.
Reina was apermanent fixture between the sticks at Anfield for eight seasons between 2005 and 2013 but eventually lost the No.1 jersey when Brendan Rodgers signed Simon Mignolet last summer.
The Spanish international was loaned out to Napoli last season and although Rafa Benitez is keen to make the move permanent, the keepers agent Manuel Garcia Quilon recently confirmed the Seire A club were not prepared to meet Liverpool’s valuation.
“It’s very difficult for Pepe to remain here [Napoli]. From June 30, he will return to Liverpool because they want to maximise his sale, and Napoli are not willing to spend what is required.” Quilon is quoted as saying by the Express.
With Reina highly unlikely to replace Mignolet next season, a return to Liverpool doesn’t appear likely so he’s expected to look for a new club this summer and the Metro are reporting that Arsenal are ready to table a £5m bid.
The Gunners need to bring in another goalkeeper this summer after seeing Lukasz Fabianski join Swansea City on a free transfer and the newspaper suggests that Arsene Wenger is confident of luring Reina to north London.
This isn’t the first time Arsenal have been linked with the former Barcelona stopper as the 31-year-old has previously confirmed how he almost moved to north London back in 2010 before the deal was blocked by club owners at the last minute.
Whether £5m will be enough to persuade Liverpool to sell this time around remains to be seen and there must also be doubts over whether Rodgers would sanction the sale to a direct rival.
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However, it will be interesting to see who Wenger picks as his No.1 next season if Reina does end up making the move to the Emirates. Wojciech Szczesny made great strides last year and cemented himself as one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League, so it would seem a tad harsh should the young Pole be ousted from the No.1 spot. But Reina isn’t likely to accept a move where he’s going to be forced to sit on the bench every week, so it does seem an intriguing potential move.
