Exclusive: Arsenal Close In On Deals to Sign £64m Quartet This Week

Posted by

Tim Krul (Newcastle – £11million)

With young Polish shot stopper Wojciech Szczesny not quite looking ready to be number one for Arsenal yet, Wenger will move for Newcastle goalkeeper Tim Krul for around £11million to solve the club’s crisis between the posts. Krul has been Newcastle’s undisputed number one since the 2011/12 season, when he first emerged as one of the best ‘keepers in the Premier League, as Alan Pardew’s side claimed a surprise fifth placed finish. Known for some stunning reflex saves, he seems a big improvement on the error-prone Szczesny and backup ‘keeper Lukasz Fabianski, who has spent much of his Arsenal career on the sidelines through injury.

However, he now looks like moving on to a bigger club after a disappointing season last year. The likes of AC Milan and Roma had been linked with the Dutchman, but Arsenal are now set to step up their interests in him, prioritising the 25-year-old over other targets such as Queens Park Rangers’ Julio Cesar, Valencia’s Vicente Guaita, Espanyol’s Kiko Casilla and Palermo’s Emiliano Viviano. Krul is seen as a more long-term option than Cesar, even though the Brazil international would likely be cheaper. His Premier League experience also sees him as preferred to Wenger’s other three candidates, who are all based in either La Liga or Serie A.

Arsenal had even been linked with a surprise £15million move for Real Madrid’s Iker Casillas, who has found himself frozen out at the Bernabeu despite an entire career of great service to the club. Still, a move seems unlikely with other big clubs such as Manchester United and Barcelona interested, and with Krul looking a good long-term option for a very reasonable price of £11million.

Next Page
Page 2 of 4
Prev Page
More Stories Arsenal FC Newcastle United FC