Arsenal Transfer News: Iker Casillas Real Madrid Jeers Amplify January Exit Talk

Iker Casillas has returned to Real Madrid's starting line-up this season after the departure of Diego Lopez, but he could soon be on his way out of the club after Los Blancos' fans audibly jeered the Spanish goalkeeper during Tuesday's Champions League victory over Basel.

The 33-year-old is linked with a January move to Arsenal, who will be monitoring the situation carefully if supporters continue to turn on their legendary stopper. French newspaper Le10 Sport, reported via Metro, believes Arsene Wenger is "leading the chase" to bring Casillas to the Premier League.

Monaco are outlined as another potential destination for the player who has suffered a dramatic downfall over the past two seasons.

Andres Kudacki/Associated Press

Casillas has won it all with club and country, including three Champions League titles, five La Liga medals, the World Cup and two European Championship triumphs. Originally dropped under Jose Mourinho, his attitude and form have been questioned across two years' worth of appearances which have almost exclusively come in cup competitions.

Carlo Ancelotti decided against bringing Casillas back into the La Liga fold last year, but he has picked the veteran keeper over new signing Keylor Navas at the beginning of the current campaign. Real have suffered a terrible start to the domestic season, losing to Real Sociedad and Atletico Madrid before opening their Champions League defence with a 5-1 win against Basel on Tuesday.

Sections of the Bernabeu crowd jeered their one-time poster boy for the second fixture in a row. Although Casillas suggested Madrid followers were "entitled to complain" during the defeat to neighbours Atletico, as reported by Dermot Corrigan and Ian Holyman of ESPN FC, continued whistles haven't gone unnoticed.

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Sergio Ramos suggested to Spanish newspaper AS that Casillas will only be able to take the abuse for so long, while also indicating the Madrid fans need to reconsider their actions, especially when the team is winning. Corrigan and Holyman reported the defender's comments:

"

Iker lives with it. He knows that everyone is not going to like him. He is not a robot and it is normal that it affects him. As a Madridista, a team-mate and a friend of Iker I would not be able to [whistle him]. I would not do it.

[...] It is true that the fans are a bit more sensitive [at the moment]. We really do not know why it happened again today when the team was winning. 

"

Excessive criticism of Casillas can also be considered harsh when noting his career-long dedication to the club, which was recently honoured by Florentino Perez, per Real Madrid's official Twitter account: 

Such occurrences could tempt Wenger into a move, especially after Arsenal's poor performance during their European opener with Borussia Dortmund. Wojciech Szczesny offered a couple of nervous moments against the German outfit, but he stopped the defeat from being any worse than 2-0 with a handful of neat saves. He hasn't looked completely confident this season, despite keeping new signing David Ospina out of the team.

Martin Meissner/Associated Press

Ospina represents a quality alternative for Wenger. The Colombian stopper impressed at the World Cup and will be hungry to take advantage of any game time afforded by his manager, who appears uninterested in mixing things up.

Casillas' potential arrival would almost certainly spell the end for one of the two 'keepers currently in north London, allowing Wenger to add a proven leader into his squad.

The long-time Real Madrid servant has lost his confidence and appears disillusioned between the Bernabeu posts, meaning a fresh start may be tempting at this point in his career. He still possesses the excellence to make a significant difference on a consistent basis, but at this difficult time, he needs the support of his fans to regain the world-class form we've come to expect.