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Arsene Wenger rules out buying a goalkeeper, paving way for Wojciech Szczesny return
Arsene Wenger has ruled out buying a goalkeeper this summer and suggested that he is ready to give Wojciech Szczesny a fresh chance at Arsenal following a highly successful loan season at Roma.
Arsenal were monitoring goalkeepers earlier in the season but Cech has been in oustatnding form over this month and, while David Ospina may leave this summer in search of regualr football, Wenger has been delighted by the progress both of Szczesny and Emiliano Martinez.
Jordan Pickford delivering another excellent performance even in Sunderland’s 2-0 defeat against Arsenal last night but Wenger has ruled out making a summer bid for the 23-year-old. “We have plenty of goalkeepers,” said Wenger.
“We have Petr Cech and Ospina. We have Wojciech, who is only on loan at Roma, where he has had an exceptional season.
"We have Emi Martinez. If there is one thing we don't need to buy, it's a goalkeeper.”
Szczesny has spent the last two seasons on loan in Serie A following a mixed spell as Arsenal’s first choice goalkeeper and, although he has said that he would “love” to return, the question is whether he would now want guarantees over game-time.
Wenger has tried this past season to keep both Cech and Ospina happy by playing the former Chelsea goalkeeper in the Premier League and Ospina in both the FA Cup and Champions League.
Arsenal appear likely now to be playing in the Europa League next season but Cech, who helped Chelsea win that competition in 2013, says that its importance has grown. “A European trophy is a European trophy,” he said.
“You want to have the Champions League one rather than the Europa League one but you can see more and more, big teams are treating the Europa League with respect because it is a European trophy.
"Now you can qualify for the Champions League too. It is a fantastic memory for myself to look at the medal. I only played in it once and was fortunate in one go to have won it. But obviously I would rather be in the Champions League.”
Arsenal must beat Everton on Sunday and then hope that Liverpool fail to win their home game against Middlesbrough.
Wenger says that Arsenal still have “a good chance” and Cech is adamant that the team must not become preoccupied with the scores from Anfield.
“We have a difficult game; let’s not forget this first,” he said. “We will concentrate on our game and there is only one thing we can do which is to win and then hope the other results will go our way.
"I never care about the other results so I am not going to start now. Whatever happens elsewhere is not in our hands so, if we win our game, we can go to the dressing room and watch what is going to happen.”