Arsenal are set to offload David Ospina, as they prepared to welcome Petr Cech as their new number one goalkeeper next season.
Ospina arrived at the Emirates Stadium last July when the Gunners paid £3million to take him from French club Nice, on the back of an impressive World Cup campaign for Colombia. Although he started the season as number two behind Wojciech Szczesny, he ended it as Arsene Wenger’s first choice and racked up 18 league appearances.
But it is widely accepted that the 26-year-old is not the long-term solution, especially as there is a genuine chance of luring Cech from rivals Chelsea this summer. The Czech Republic star is still regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League, if not Europe, but he lost his place to Thibaut Courtois last season as the Blues won the championship.
The 33-year-old has just 12 months remaining on his contract at Stamford Bridge but has made it clear he wants to leave this summer to re-establish himself as a first team regular, and although Jose Mourinho was initially reluctant to let him join a rival, he will not stand in the way of a player who has provided excellent service since joining the club in 2004.
Cech has made 485 appearances for the champions in all competitions, and has helped them win four league titles, four FA Cups, three League Cups, a UEFA Champions League and a UEFA Europa League. The Blues want £11million to let him leave ahead of the new season, and this is a fee Wenger is prepared to pay to solve his goalkeeper issue.
And according to reports in Haber Turk, the Gunners will make room for the Chelsea star by offloading Ospina to Fenerbahce. It is believed Wenger has accepted an offer of £3.9million from the Turkish club for the Colombian, who he feels would be third choice behind both Cech and Szczesny should he start the season as part of the squad at the Emirates.
