Arsenal were reportedly looking to make a move for Victor Valdes after a series of rumors emerged according to which the Spanish international was not willing to extend his current contract with Barcelona. The Gunners are in desperate need of a world class goalkeeper, after all, three current options have failed to impress during the past few seasons. With a massive cash boost coming Wenger’s way, he will definitely have the resources to sign a big-time keeper to increase confidence within Arsenal’s defensive line. After footballers such as Casillas, Reina and Valdes declared they are keen on making a move, the Gunners’ management could make a bid for any of them. Valdes looked like the most viable solution considering the fact that Casillas is considered too expensive and Reina too attached to Premier League rivals, Liverpool.
According to Metro, Valdes publicly expressed his disappointment with Barcelona’s offer and also said that he would love to move to the Premier League. The Spanish international’s contract is about to expire at the end of the year and his agent has not managed to get a decent offer for his client. Even though Valdes’s problems with his current team seemed to put an end to their collaboration, recent information may point towards a different direction.
The latest reports from Spain suggest Barcelona may indeed offer their number one goalkeeper a new contract that will keep Valdes playing at the Camp Nou after all but an agreement might not be reached until the end of this football season.
Things are still blurry, because none of the rumors have been confirmed. Wenger might redirect his attention towards a younger player, considering his past transfer policy. He has always been keen on forming a group of youngsters that could grow together and develop into star quality footballers.
One thing is for sure; Arsenal will bring in a new goalkeeper to compete with two of Wojciech Szczęsny, Vito Mannone and Łukasz Fabianski, who have all failed to live up to expectations. It is unclear exactly which keeper Wenger will move on but seemingly it is only a matter of time until a bid is placed for one of the top-class keepers who is at the top of Wenger’s wish-list.