The Gunners have been linked with signing a new goalkeeper in the summer in the form of Bayer Leverkusen star Bernd Leno. Arsenal needs to bring in a solid rearguard in order to compete at a higher level for next season. Leno has been on the radar of quite a few top clubs across the continent after putting in impressive showings between the sticks for Bayer Leverkusen. At just 26 years of age, Leno is rated very highly in Germany and still relatively young. His incredible performances for the Bundesliga outfit have attracted potential suitors in the form of English giants Arsenal but they will face stiff competition from La Liga side Atletico Madrid and Serie A side Napoli.
It seems like a season of goodbyes for Arsenal. Firstly, their veteran manager Arsene Wenger decided that he would step down from the Emirates Stadium at the end of the campaign ending his 22-year tenure at the North London side. But barring their long-serving French manager, the Gunners also have a veteran goalkeeper in the Premier League in the form of Petr Cech. The 35-year-old shot-stopper has spent a decade and a half in England and has established himself as a legend status in Europe.
However, the former Chelsea keeper has come under heavy scrutiny and criticism over the past few seasons with many of the Gunners faithful calling wanting Cech to leave the club. His mistakes and unnecessary errors have put his position in jeopardy with second choice keeper David Ospina taking over due to Cech’s poor form. Ospina has been used in the Europa League which is Arsenal’s only hope at silverware this season as well as a shortcut for qualifying into the Champions League.
Arsenal currently sits sixth on the Premier League table and seem unlikely to finish in the top 4 ineligible to qualify for the prestigious tournament. But Ospina too has been shaky at Arsenal despite being the second choice, the Colombian international has failed to make an impression and win the hearts of Arsenal fans since arriving at the club in 2014. The 29-year-old has struggled to embrace his position as the first choice keeper at the Emirates which has forced the club board to look into the transfer market for a new keeper.
Leverkusen’s Bernd Leno has been eager to play for a top club and move away from the Bay Arena to win more trophies before his career ends. We are quite certain that the Bundesliga side will do anything to keep him at the club for longer but with his release clause at just £17.5m (€22m), there will definitely be a hoard of clubs battling to secure his signature if he does not plan an extension with Bayer Leverkusen. Leno has already assured the club that he wants to leave in the summer and Arsenal must swoop in for him as quickly as possible in order to strengthen their last line of defense. Arsenal will face a tough test against Atletico Madrid in the second leg of the Europa League Semifinal.
