Mexican goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa is keeping his full focus on Mexico until after the tournament.
If there is one player from 2014 that epitomises what the World Cup can do for a player’s job prospects it is Mexican goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa, who will decide his future after the tournament despite being linked with Liverpool, Arsenal and Barcelona.
Ochoa shot onto the world stage with a virtuoso performance in between the sticks for Mexico as they held hosts Brazil to a creditable 0-0 draw, a result that puts them in pole position to qualify ahead of Croatia for the tournament’s knock-out rounds.
The 28 year-old Guadalajara born ‘keeper had endured a frustrating season with Ligue 1 side AC Ajaccio as his consistently excellent displays in goal didn’t prove to be enough for the Corsican side to avoid relegation from the French top flight.
He joined Ajaccio in 2011 from Mexican side America as a particularly highly rated young player, but Ochoa has never quite lived up to that early promise despite fleeting glimpses such as that stunning display in Fortaleza.
Liverpool, Arsenal and Barcelona are all on the lookout for reserve goalkeepers this summer after the likes of Lukasz Fabianski and Victor Valdes moved on to pastures new, making free agent Ochoa a particularly enticing option.
With Ochoa’s agent claiming that upwards of 20 clubs are interested in his services, however, the English Premier League duo will face a fight on their hands to land Ochoa, particularly if reported interest from Ligue 1 runners-up AS Monaco turns into an offer.