Arsenal are planning a £20 million bid for Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina, according to reports.
The Spanish stopper is desperate for Champions League action with Liverpool only likely to qualify for the Europa Cup next season following a dismal campaign.
Reina’s consistent performances in an otherwise inconsistent Liverpool team have attracted interest from a number of clubs – including north-west rivals Manchester United.
But it’s unlikely Reina would sign for United – leaving Arsenal as a likely destination if he chooses to leave at the end of the season, according to the Daily Star.
Reina would be the perfect solution for Arsenal in their troublesome number one spot – with the Gunners experimenting with three different keepers this season.
His shot-stopping, distribution and penalty box authority would be the perfect solution to Arsenal’s often clumsy defending which saw them lose yesterday’s League Cup Final against Birmingham City.
If Liverpool were to lose Reina, he would be the second Spanish star to defect in favour of Champions League football following Fernando Torres’s £50 departure to Chelsea.
However, while Torres was essentially replaced with two strikers in Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez, Liverpool will struggle to find a goalkeeper of Reina’s quality who is willing to miss out on the Champions League.
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