According to Calciomercato, Arsenal are monitoring the progress of Tiburones Rojos goalkeeper Pedro Gallese. The 29-year-old has attracted the interest of North London giants following his impressive performances for Peru in the recently concluded Copa America. It is believed that the Gunners are keen on signing a goalkeeper following the retirement of Petr Cech and Gallese has been eyed as one of the potential candidates.
Gallese’s spell at Tiburones Rojos
A product of the Universidad San Martin de Porres youth academy, Gallese moved to Tiburones Rojos from Club Juan Aurich back in 2016. However, he struggled to make an impression in the first-team for the Mexican outfit, even though he was the number one choice during his debut campaign.
The following season, Gallese’ progress was marred by a hand fracture, and the Peruvian custodian ended up making only six appearances in the MX Apertura. And the 29-year-old was sent out on loan to his hometown club Allianz Lima at the start of this year.
Gallese became a first-team regular at Lima, but he managed to preserve just one clean sheet in 11 matches before returning to Tiburones Rojos this summer.
Gallese’s exploits in Copa America
While Gallese hasn’t exactly enjoyed a flashy club career, it was his performances in the Copa America 2019 that helped him showcase his talents on the big stage. Indeed, the 29-year-old played a key role for Peru side that ended up reaching the final of the coveted tournament, only to lose to hosts Brazil in the final.
Aside from conceding eight goals in two matches against the Selecao, the Peruvian fared exceptionally well throughout the tournament, especially in the Quarter Final against Uruguay as he saved Luis Suarez’s penalty to fire his side into the semis.
Do Arsenal really need him?
As iterated earlier, Arsenal are in the lookout for a new goalkeeper following the retirement of Cech. Besides, they have lost David Ospina to Napoli, meaning Bernd Leno remains their only reliable option in goal at the moment.
Gallese, in that regard, will be an extremely cost-effective option, with the Peruvian keeper being valued at only €2 million by Transfermarkt. He doesn’t have any experience of playing in the European top flight, but his recent performances have shown that the 29-year-old is capable of playing at a higher level of football – making him an ideal target for the Gunners.
