Arsenal Transfer News: Wojciech Szczesny Set to Stay, Aymen Abdennour Rumours

Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny is set to stay on at the Emirates Stadium despite the reportedly imminent arrival of Petr Cech from Chelsea.

Szczesny lost his starting spot to David Ospina last season and would surely be set to play second fiddle to Cech if he arrived in north London this summer.

However, no matter what happens, the 25-year-old Pole will stay at the club and fight for his place, according to Matt Law in the Telegraph. 

Colombian Ospina is reportedly a target for Turkish club Fenerbahce and on the verge of a move away from the Gunners, per Turkish publication Haberturk (h/t Metro's Jamie Sanderson).

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However, a move for £10 million-rated Cech—which could involve Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain going the other way—seems to be very much in Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger's mind, per the Mirror's John Cross.

If and when the goalkeeping merry-go-round at Arsenal stops turning this summer, it seems likely that Cech and Szczesny will be No. 1 and No. 2 for the Gunners.

The 25-year-old Szczesny has always been something of a liability for Arsenal, and as noted by Bleacher Report's Graham Ruthven, the addition of a proven and consistent winner like Cech could finally make the Gunners genuine title contenders:

Despite being benched behind Thibaut Courtois last term, Cech is still a top-quality goalkeeper, arguably in the Premier League's top three.

At 33 years old, Cech still has a few years of high performance left in his career, considering the ability goalkeepers have to last longer than their outfield counterparts. 

While Szczesny would be unlikely to usurp Cech as No. 1 role should the Czech move to Arsenal, he would do well to stay on and learn from the veteran in the hope that he can improve and take over his mantle in years to come.

Abdennour Open to Move

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Arsenal have been given a boost in their pursuit of Monaco centre-back Aymen Abdennour after the Tunisian conceded he may be open to moving away from the Ligue 1 outfit.

A physically imposing, athletic defender, Abdennour would bolster Arsenal's often-vulnerable defensive unit and offer necessary depth.

He has been quoted by L'Equipe (h/t Metro's Tom Olver) as saying he could be persuaded away from Monaco, and he is a rumoured target for Arsenal:

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I am ready for anything. I’d love to play for big clubs. Why not leave so I can make more progress? I do not think everyone will leave. I am ready for anything. I trust my President and my director. They know me, I will not put pressure on them. We respect each other, we work as a family.

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The 25-year-old's comments will have pricked up the ears of more than just the Arsenal hierarchy, though, with other big clubs reportedly interested in Abdennour, per L'Equipe (h/t French football writer Rich Allen):

However, Arsenal would do well to fight for his signature, as he would be a fine addition at the club, especially if Cech is also brought in.

Arsenal have consistently failed to properly challenge for the Premier League title over the last decade, and the problem has so often been the defence.

Added depth in the shape of Abdennour and a truly world-class goalkeeper in Cech could see the Gunners become a genuine contender to challenge Chelsea for the title next term.