Arsenal + Liverpool Do Battle Over £6.5m World Cup Star

The summer transfer window is now open for business and it’s expected to be a busy few weeks as managers strengthen their squads ahead of next season, so we’ll bring you all the latest news and gossip. Today, Arsenal and Liverpool are linked with Keylor Navas.

Arsenal and Liverpool have joined the chase for Costa Rica’s World Cup hero Keylor Navas after being alerted to the fact the goalkeeper has a £6.5m buy-out clause written into his contract at Levante, according to reports.

Navas has been one of the star’s of this summers World Cup after his heroics between the sticks helped Costa Rica into the quarter-finals with a dramatic penalty shoot-out victory over Greece on Sunday, with the keeper saving the decisive spot-kick from Theofanis Gekas.

It continued what’s been a dream journey for the 27-year-old as he let in just seven goals during the World Cup qualifying campaign and has conceded just twice so far in the finals, and it appears his impressive form over in Brazil hasn’t gone unnoticed back here in the UK.

The Mirror are reporting today that Arsenal and Liverpool have now joined Atletico Madrid in the chase for his signature and are eyeing a bargain move after learning the stopper has a £6.5m buy-out clause in his contract at Levante.

Navas may not have been a house-hold name before this summer, but those who watch La Liga regularly will have been aware of his talents long ago as he was statistically the second best goalkeeper in Spain last season – behind only Atletico Madrid’s on-loan keeper Thiabaut Courtois – and that’s despite guarding goal for a poor Levante side.

Former Manchester City striker Paulo Wanchope believes Navas is not only the best keeper in Spain, but also the best at the World Cup and has tipped him to join a ‘great’ club.

“Navas is the best keeper in Spain and I think he is the best keeper at the World Cup. He has made some really great saves – of course the penalty – and I think he will end up at a great, great club.

“A lot of our players are playing for their future and we will see what happens with the likes of [midfielder] Yeltsin Tejeda or Navas.” Wanchope is quoted as saying by the Mirror.

With just one year remaining on his current deal and a bargain buy-out clause, a move looks a certainty this summer and it seems he could be heading for the Premier League.

Arsenal are in need of a new goalkeeper to replace Lukasz Fabianski after he joined Swansea City on a free transfer and the report claims that Arsene Wenger has now added Navas to his hit-list as he looks for an experienced stopper to offer competition for Wojciech Szczesny next season.

READ MORE –> Arsenal transfer news | Liverpool transfer news

Brendan Rodgers is also understood to be on the look-out for another goalkeeper to push Simon Mignolet and with Pepe Reina expected to seal a permanent move away from Anfield this summer, Navas has now emerged as a target for the Northern Irishman.

Whether either manager will formalise their interest in the Costa Rican remains to be seen but the competition for his signature is only to intensify the more he impresses over in Brazil, so they may want to think about making their move early to avoid missing out on one of this summer World Cup hero’s.