According to Mundo Deportivo, as cited by Football.London, Arsenal are involved in the pursuit of Alphonso Areola. The Paris-Saint Germain goalkeeper, who is currently on loan at Real Madrid, is expected to return to the French capital this summer. Arsenal could be one of the potential destinations for the player, although signing a goalkeeper is not the priority for Mikel Arteta this term.
Alphonso Areola’s spell at Real Madrid
Areola joined Real Madrid in a season-long loan deal from PSG last summer. He was brought in exchange for Keylor Navas, replacing the Costa Rican international as the club’s primary back-up for Thibaut Courtois.
Given the Belgian’s struggles during the 2018/19 campaign, Areola was even tipped to become a first-choice ‘keeper for Real Madrid by experts. However, unfortunately for the Frenchman, that didn’t turn out to be the case as Courtois has emerged as one of the best performing goalkeepers in Europe this season.
As a result, Areola has made only three appearances in La Liga so far. His gametime has been restricted to just domestic cup fixtures and rightly so.
What can he bring to the table?
Areola is an easily distinguishable figure in goal, boasting a massive 1.95m frame. His imposing presence between the sticks helps him cover a considerable area in goal while giving him a considerable advantage in terms of set-pieces. Moreover, the 27-year-old is an excellent athlete as well, who is also hardened by years of experience at the highest level of football.
Arsenal are involved in the pursuit of Alphonso Areola: Will the move make sense?
Arsenal scouring the market for a goalkeeper seems rather bizarre at the moment, given the fact that Bernd Leno has been one of the best performing players in the Premier League this campaign. The German has established himself as the undisputed number one choice in between the sticks for the Gunners and deservedly so.
As far as second-choice ‘keeper is concerned, Emiliano Martinez hasn’t exactly lived up to the expectations. However, the Argentine is still a decent back-up for Leno.
Even if Martinez does leave the club in the summer, it is unlikely that Areola would want to settle for a place on the bench, especially for a club like Arsenal, who have struggled to even qualify for the Champions League in recent years. Therefore, their reported pursuit of the PSG star does not make sense at the moment.
