Arsenal Blow As Barcelona Star Turns Down Gunners Move

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Spanish keeper prefers the chance to play in the South of France instead. 

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FC Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes will turn down the opportunity to move to Premier League giants Arsenal in favour of joining mega-rich Ligue 1 outfit AS Monaco next season, according to reports in the Metro.

The experienced Spain international has already made it clear that he intends to leave the Spanish champions when his contract expires at the end of this campaign, resulting in a recent scramble for Valdes’s signature from a whole host of big-name clubs throughout the Continent.

And Gunners head coach Arsene Wenger had hoped that the 31-year-old would choose the Emirates as his next port of call, with the Frenchman known to still be concerned about the form between the posts of current No 1 Wojciech Szczesny in north London.

However, those hopes now appear to be over after the Catalans’ shot stopper revealed that: “Ligue 1 attracts me a lot – Monaco or elsewhere in France. My future is in the hands of my representatives. But Monaco is a good option.

“I know that [Eric] Abidal is very happy at Monaco and I am good friends with him. I consider him a brother.

“He is an example as a human being. To go back and play at his side again could be very special.”

Meanwhile, Barca themselves have moved quickly to replace the departing Valdes at Camp Nou by agreeing to sign highly rated Borussia Monchengladbach keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen for next season.

However, the Liga giants have also been linked with moves for the likes of Chelsea’s Thibaut Courtois, Liverpool’s Jose Manuel Reina, both of who are currently out on loan at Atletico de Madrid and Napoli respectively, and Glasgow Celtic’s Fraser Forster.

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