Gunners want Swans stopper.
Arsenal have identified Swansea ‘keeper Michel Vorm, 29, as the man to replace Wojciech Szczesny this summer and could activate an ‘affordable’ release clause in the Dutchman’s contract this summer.
SOURCE: Daily Mirror
The writing is on the wall for Wojciech Szczesny. The 22-year-old was left out of Arsenal’s heroic Champions League victory at Bayern Munich on Tuesday, with boss Arsene Wenger claiming the Polish international was not mentally ready to face the Bundesliga giants.
Szczesny’s omission for such a significant match suggested that his time as the Gunners’ undisputed number one was at an end and Wenger’s perseverance with Lukasz Fabianski for Saturday’s 2-0 victory at Swansea has done nothing to indicate that assessment is premature.
It would be entirely understandable if Wenger felt that Szczesny was no longer good enough for the Gunners, given the goalkeeper’s own admission that he has struggled under high balls this season. His concentration and ability to deal with shots from distance also remain in doubt.
Fabianski was making his first league start in over two years at the Liberty Stadium but was untested by an out-of-sorts home side.
Wenger now faces a decision on whether he should stick with Fabianski for the remaining nine league games of the season or recall Szczesny, who undoubtedly has more experience at dealing with the pressures of the run-in.
But the Frenchman looks almost certain to sign a goalkeeper this summer.
Saturday’s opponent Vorm would be a fine choice. The Dutchman excelled last year in his debut season in the Premier League and has quietly continued to excel under new Swans boss Michael Laudrup this term.
At 29, he is entering his prime as a goalkeeper. Vorm is a particularly impressive shot-stopper and has also proven himself as something of a penalty-saving specialist.
On paper, the former Utrecht man would be a great fit for the Gunners and would surely jump at the chance to increase his pay-packet and join one the Premier League big boys.
That said, there is a very real possibility that Swansea and Arsenal will be playing in the same European competition next season and, should that prove the case, Vorm may just decide to stay in South Wales and repay the faith the club has shown in him.
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