The January transfer window is just around the corner and managers are working hard on possible deals or identifying targets for the summer so we’ll keep you up-to-date with the latest rumours. Today, Arsenal are linked with Keylor Navas…
Arsenal are hoping to sign Keylor Navas in January and Real Madrid are ready to strike a deal for the goalkeeper if £12.6m is put on the table this winter, according to El Confidencial.
We splashed out on Bernd Leno in the summer after paying Bayer Leverkusen around £20m for the 26-year-old stopper as Unai Emery and his team rebuild the squad left behind by former boss Arsene Wenger.
Leno has shown some promise at times but the German international has also made some high profile errors recently with the keeper being criticised following a mistake that led to Arsenal’s 3-2 defeat to Southampton last weekend.
Petr Cech has lost his first team place under Emery this season and with the Czech legend turning 37 next year, Arsenal need to find a replacement and it seems we’ve found the man we want.
El Confidencial claim Arsenal have identified Navas as a key transfer target this winter and the club are hoping to secure a deal to sign the Costa Rican international in January.
Navas has fallen down the pecking order at the Bernabeu following the arrival of Thibaut Courtois from Chelsea last summer and the Spanish outlet says Madrid are ready to cash-in if £12.6m is put on the table.
The 32-year-old has 18-months left on his current contract so it seems Madrid are prepared to sell at a reasonable price this winter before his value drops further at the end of the season.
El Confidencial suggest that Arsenal are ‘in a hurry’ to get the deal wrapped-up ahead of the January window and we should have no problem meeting Madrid’s £12.6m valuation.
Navas would be a superb replacement for Cech as he’s proven himself to be a top class goalkeeper during his time at the Bernabeu and helped Madrid win three consecutive Champions League trophies over the past three seasons.
However, if we do sign Navas it will cast huge doubt over Leno’s position at the club as I think the Madrid stopper would come-in as Emery’s new No.1. That would push Leno down the pecking order and you can’t imagine he’d be too impressed at being demoted just 6 months after joining the club.
