Gunners and Liverpool watch Oblak developments
Rarely can two Premier League giants have required a new goalkeeper quite as desperately as Liverpool and Arsenal do after months of misery around their respective glovemen.
That’s why, says The Independent, the latest news concerning Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Jan Oblak is of great interest to them.
Article continues belowThe Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The site says that the Slovenian, who has a €100m (£88m) release clause in his contract, “has so far stalled over a new deal with Atletico” and apparently Arsenal and Liverpool are “ready to battle it out for his signature”.
Reports in Spain say that the Gunners’ new gaffer Unai Emery is on the hunt for a keeper after concluding that neither David Ospina nor Petr Cech fits the bill, while the Reds are set to jettison Loris Karius and Simon Mignolet after their litany of errors in recent seasons.
The Indy says that Atletico manager Diego Simeone is increasingly convinced that the 25-year-old Oblak is set to depart and has already lined up his replacement in Athletic Bilbao player Kepa, with the deal expected to concluded before the end of this month.
Emery eyes PSG prodigy Adli
Another player on Emery’s radar, according to talkSPORT, is Paris Saint-Germain prodigy Yacine Adli. Obviously the pair know each other well from having worked together last season and PSG reserve coach François Rodrigues recently hailed the 17-year-old frontman as “indispensable”.
There are comparisons between Adli and a young Nicolas Anelka, and talkSPORT claims that Emery could make the young striker his first signing.
The Daily Mirror substantiates talkSPORT’s report, claiming that Adli has rejected a senior contract from PSG and “is set to put pen to paper on a three-year deal, with the option of a further two years”.
Bayern playmaker Tolisso is a target
Finally, the Daily Mirror also says that Arsenal are “targeting” Corentin Tolisso, the French midfielder who has been impressing for Bayern Munich.
Emery is an admirer of the 23-year-old and believes he will be a useful asset to the Gunners midfield and is “willing to pay £60m”.
Whether that will tempt the Germans to sell remains to be seen with the Mirror saying Bayern are determined to hang on to the Gallic playmaker.