Arsenal Transfer News: Edinson Cavani Rumours Fuelled, Petr Cech Deal Ruled out

For any football team on the planet, the key to success ultimately comes down to their efficiency in both boxes. A classy goalkeeper and a talented centre-forward can take sides a long way in this game; encouragingly for Arsenal, they’ve been linked with moves for both.

In terms of a striker, the Gunners have reportedly been handed a major boost in their attempts to bring Edinson Cavani to the Emirates. As reported by French newspaper l’Equipe (h/t Bruce Archer of the Daily Star) the forward and his team-mate Ezequiel Lavezzi are both facing punishment for reporting to training late following the winter break.

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As noted here by Tor-Kristian Karlsen of The Guardian, the subsequent ban levied on both players has conjured a volatile atmosphere at the club:

According to Archer’s piece, while strengthening the midfield and defence rightly remains Wenger’s priority in January, news that Cavani could be available may well prompt him into making a move for the striker. Here’s a closer look at what he would bring to the Gunners:

Wenger is not a man renowned for lavish January spending, though. With that in mind, it’s difficult to see a deal for the forward materialising mid-season, and as noted here by Bleacher Report’s French football expert Jonathan Johnson, the Parisians have little intention of selling the striker any time soon:

With tensions high, a summer departure looks most likely for Cavani, a player who could bring plenty to Arsenal’s front line. But at this stage of the season, with the Gunners searching for defensive solidity, it’d be plain indulgent of them to delve into the market for a player who’d further imbalance the squad for a massive premium.

Instead, Wenger must add some steel to his team, and while defence and midfield have been the perennial concerns throughout the course of the season, goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny has suddenly emerged as a big problem for the Gunners. Indeed, according to former player John Jensen (h/t 101 Great Goals), the Poland international will not play again this season.

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According to the piece, Szczesny has been given a huge fine for his behaviour in the dressing room after the Gunners’ 2-0 defeat to Southampton on New Year's Day, a match in which he made two rudimentary errors. Subsequently, the Gunners may well be on the lookout for a new goalkeeper in the January window.

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That man looks unlikely to be Petr Cech, however, after Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho once again ruled out the prospect of a sale after confirming third-choice goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer will move to Leicester City.

The Portuguese boss was full of praise for the 42-year-old Australian and insisted Jamal Blackman will become the new third-choice stopper behind Thibaut Courtois and Cech, per Sky Sports: 

"

On behalf of myself, my staff and my players, I want to say we are going to miss the big guy and we wish him all the best in his new life at Leicester.

We’ll bring Jamal back from Middlesbrough. He was on loan there but he wasn’t playing so for them it’s not a problem. For us, he’s a young, English goalkeeper. He can work with Courtois and Cech so for him it’s a good experience.

"

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Cech is a goalkeeper who looks primed for a summer move, and he’s someone who still has plenty to offer at the very top level of the game. With that in mind, the Czech Republic international is someone Wenger should be looking at in the summer, but according to Gunnerblog, there’s no chance of Mourinho sanctioning a sale to Arsenal:

Luckily enough for the Arsenal boss, David Ospina is a man capable of filling the void left by Szczesny if he is to be left out of the side indefinitely. But if the Gunners are hopeful of challenging for the very top honours, a top-class goalkeeper should be one of the club’s primary transfer targets.