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Patricio Signing A ‘Top Priority’ For Arsenal As Wenger Eyes Cut-Price Deal

By on June 21, 2013

With all the talk of big-money moves for Gonzalo Higuain and Wayne Rooney filling the back pages, it’s good to see the boss still has an eye for a bargain.

Famed for his frugal approach to transfers in recent years, it seems Arsene Wenger is lining up another astute purchase with Portuguese newspaper Record reporting that we’re in for Sporting Lisbon goalkeeper Rui Patricio and they claim his purchase is ‘a top priority’ for the club this summer.

We were heavily linked with the Portuguese No.1 back in March when it was reported that we’d had an £8.5m bid turned down with Sporting believed to be demanding well in excess of £10m.

However, the Portuguese outfit have since found themselves in financial crisis and several key players are expected to be sold in cut-price deals this summer to balance the books, and it seems Wenger can smell another bargain in Patricio.

A new goalkeeper has been touted as a necessity this summer following the unconvincing displays of Wojciech Szczesny last season, and we’ve been linked with a whole host of names including the likes of Victor Valdes, Pepe Reina, Simon Mignolet and Asmir Begovic, but Patricio would certainly be the cheapest of the lot.

At 25, he’s still got his best years ahead of him but he’s already established himself as Sporting Lisbon’s and Portugal’s No.1, so has plenty of experience to offer. However, with Szczesny only two years youngster than him, if we did end up buying Patricio it would surely put the young Pole’s future at the club in serious doubt.

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Personally, I’d like to see us sign someone a little older. Someone who isn’t going to block the development of Szczesny for too long as I still believe he’s got the potential to be our long-term No.1. Julio Cesar would be my preferred option, but let’s see how things develop over the coming weeks.

What goalkeeper would you like Arsenal to sign this summer?

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