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Arsenal set to table formal bid for Euro 2016 winner

By mac14 on March 28, 2017

According to reports in France via the Metro, Arsenal are set to table a £13m bid for Sporting Lisbon goalkeeper Rui Patricio as Arsene Wenger looks to bring in competition for Petr Cech this summer.

Despite continuing doubts over his own future at the club, Wenger is pressing ahead with his transfer plans and strengthening his goalkeeping options is on the bosses agenda.

David Ospina is expected to leave in search of regular first team football after only being used as our ‘cup keeper’ this season so a replacement is going to be needed for the Colombian international.

I also think we need someone to challenge Petr Cech for the number one shirt as the Czech legend’s best days appear to be behind him with the 34-year-old enduring some indifferent form this season.

Several names have been linked with a move to the club in recent weeks but the latest to emerge as a supposed target is Sporting Lisbon’s Rui Patricio.

The Metro are citing a report from French outlet RMC that claims Arsenal have now joined Marseille in the race to sign the 29-year-old after he decided he wants to seek a new challenge this summer.

Patricio has been with Sporting his entire career but could be on the move at the end of the season and the newspaper states that Wenger is now ready to table an opening offer of £13m.

However, Sporting are likely to hold out for more as Patricio is still under contract until 2022 and they are unlikely to want to let their number one leave on the cheap.

Patricio is a hugely experienced keeper and kept goal for Portugal during their surprise 2016 European Championship triumph last summer so he’d certainly give Cech a run for his money.

Personally, I’d rather we go for someone like Jan Oblak of Atletico Madrid but appreciate his likely price-tag of around £30m-£40m would make him an unrealistic target, particularly given the other areas of the squad that need strengthening this summer.