Liverpool Goalkeeper Drops Biggest Hint Yet He Will Still Be At The Club Next Season

Anfield hero is making plans for next year on Merseyside.

Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina has dropped the biggest hint he is staying at the club yet as he outlines plans for next season.

The 28-year-old has been linked with a move away from Anfield for some time and was the subject of a failed bid from Arsenal last summer.

Arch-rivals Manchester United have also shown interest in the Spain international as a replacement for Edwin Van Der Sar.

Reina has always declared his love for the club but wants the board to show ambition  especially after the departure of Fernando Torres to Chelsea.

Liverpool had the worst start in Premeir League history this year under Roy Hodgson but fortunes on the pitch have turned around following the appointment of Kenny Dalglish.

But Reina says the club cannot afford another start like they had next year if they want to win a trophy.

“We didn’t start this season, or last, the best – and next time we need to make sure that doesn’t happen,” he told LFC Weekly.

“We need to be consistent with the aggression, commitment – everything. And if we get the balance right, we’ll be a lot closer to where we want to be.”

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Arsenal Are Not Going To Make A Move For On-Loan Wigan Goalkeeper

Emirates boss linked with move for DW Stadium keeper but this should be an April’s fool.

          Skysports.com understands that Arsenal have joined the race to land Bolton’s Ali Al Habsi.

The Oman international is currently on a season-long loan with Wigan, where at times he has performed heroics for Roberto Martinez’s side.

His arrival has seen England international Chris Kirkland relegated from the No.1 spot at the DW Stadium, and his performances have been attracting attention from across Europe.

Bolton rate the 29-year-old very highly and would be loath to lose him, but they already have the excellent Jussi Jaaskelainen as their first choice.

But skysports.com understands that Arsenal are now very much in the reckoning.

Al Habsi had a world-class game for Wigan at Arsenal in the 3-0 defeat in January when he produced a string of top-class saves.

Arsene Wenger has since been keeping a close check on Al Habsi’s progress and is now seriously considering making a move to add him to his goalkeeping ranks.

Source: Sky Sports

If this story has any truth in it, which it very well may not, Arsene Wenger deserves to be shot.

This transfer move is indefensible.

Why on earth would Monsieur Wenger buy Ali A Habsi when he constantly reiterates his confidence in his current goalkeepers.

At the moment, Arsenal have a crisis in goal but that is because three keepers are injured, not because they are rubbish.

Wojciech Szczesny, Lukasz Fabianksi and Vito Mannone are all highly-rated by the club and fans.

And at their ages of 20, 25 and 23 respectively they could be in the squad for a very long time.

The only criticism one may have is that they lack experience of playing at the top level over a long period and have never won a major trophy between them.

But Szczesny looked far from nervous when he was repelling wave after wave of Barcelona attacks.

So why would Arsenal go for Al Habsi? He has not played in the Premier League very long and he has not won anything in this country.

Jens Lehmann is on a short-term contract and Manuel Almunia should finally be sold in the summer so an experienced keeper could be an option.

Gianluigi Buffon is tipped to be on the Gunners radar and that makes more sense.

Nothing against Al Habsi because he is a fine shot-stopper.

I was at the game Sky Sports mention when he was ‘world class’. He was not!

He made some good saves but the Arsenal attack missed a lot of chances and should have done better with a lot of them.

Credit to Al Habsi for making the saves but he still conceded three. Hardly world class.

And if he really was that good, Owen Coyle would never let him go.

Either Sky are trying to make an April fool of us or Wenger has truly lost his marbles.

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Arsenal Unlikely To Battle Manchester United For £25m German Goalkeeper

Emirates boss unlikely to bid for Veltins Arena keeper and will leave him for his old foe at Old Trafford.

Arsene Wenger will look to solve Arsenal’s goalkeeping concerns by launching a summer move for Germany No 1 Manuel Neuer. The Gunners have been dogged by goalkeeping headaches in recent seasons and Wenger has earmarked the Schalke shot-stopper as the man he wants to bring stability to the problem position.

Arsenal have tracked Neuer for over a year and Sportsmail has learned Wenger contemplated a move last summer but opted to pursue Liverpool keeper Pepe Reina instead. Wenger has instructed the club’s European scouts to keep a close eye on Neuer’s progress this season with a view to a summer move and the Frenchman is finally preparing to firm up his interest after another season of inconsistency between the posts.

Source: Daily Mail

No chance, never going to happen, not on your nelly!

This is just not how Arsene Wenger goes about his business.

Wenger’s policy is to give youth a chance and after the emergence of Wojciech Szczesny and Lukasz Fabianski, plus with Vito Mannone to comeback the manager is not looking for a shot-stopper.

This may force some Gunner fans to pull their hair out but Wenger has constantly acted in this way.

When Patrick Vieira left he promoted Cesc Fabregas and after Ashley Cole he pushed Gael Clichy into left-back.

Monsieur Wenger did not do this on a whim but he gradually integrated them into his side.

Szczesny and Fabianski have proved this season they are worthwhile candidates to battle for the gloves in the long-term. And at 20 and 25 respectively they are the right age to do so.

Throw the 23-year-old Mannone into the mix and you can see why Wenger is not going to spend the £25million on Manuel Neuer that Schalke want.

He would not even spend £20million on Pepe Reina!

Wenger could be tempted to go for a more experienced shot-stopper and is keeping a close eye on Gianluigi Buffon’s contract problems at Juventus.

The Old Lady wants the 33-year-old to take a pay cut or he will be sold.

This is more tempting for Wenger, who has identified a centre-back and a holding midfielder as his transfer priorities for the summer.

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Bayer Leverkusen Fear Manchester United Will Swoop For £15m Goalkeeper

Old Trafford scouts seen at the Bay Arena watching German shot-stopper.

Bayer Leverkusen are scared Manchester United will sign their goalkeeper Rene Adler despite their efforts to tie him to a new deal. The 26-year-old has established himself as one of the most consistent performers in the Bundesliga and has helped Leverkusen up to second in the table. United are on the search for a replacement for the retiring Edwin van der Sar, and have been on several scouting missions around Europe.

The £15million-rated Adler, along with Manuel Neuer, David De Gea and Maarten Stekelenburg have all been mentioned as possibilities. The Red Devil’s goalkeeping coach Eric Steele travelled to Germany to watch Adler keep a clean sheet in a 2-0 win over Neuer’s Schalke. Leverkusen executive Wolfgang Holzhauser wants to sign the shot-stopper to a new contract but admits it will not be easy if United come knocking.

“There have been talks between the club and Rene Adler already, however we are still far off an agreement at this point in time,” Holzhauser told Bild. “If a club the size of Manchester United comes up, I feel signing a new deal with Rene Adler would not become easier.”

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Arsenal Rejected Chance To Sign Chelsea Goalkeeper

Emirates scouts thought Stamford Bridge hero was not good enough for the Champions League.

Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech has revealed London rivals Arsenal turned down the chance to sign him because they did not think he was good enough. The 28-year-old has become one of the finest keepers in the world at Chelsea but the Gunners passed up the opportunity to sign him in 2002.

Arsenal were on the lookout for a new shot-stopper to replace the legendary David Seaman. The Blues’ keeper claims he was watched by Arsenal scouts but they were put off by him not qualifying for a work permit. The Czech Republic international ended up at French side Rennes, while Arsenal went for the enigmatic German international, Jens Lehmann.

Cech suggests it was not just the work permit issue that caused a problem but the talent spotters telling Arsene Wenger he was not good enough for the Premier League.

“Before I went to Rennes I was watched by Arsenal but when I couldn’t get a work permit the situation was missed. And at the last minute I think the person who was the chief scout at Arsenal didn’t think I was good enough for the English league. So in the end it didn’t happen.” Cech told The Sun.

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