Arsenal & Liverpool now interested in Al Habsi

Arsenal will rival ­Liverpool to sign Wigan goalkeeper Ali Al-Habsi in the January transfer window.

Manager Arsene Wenger is desperate to strengthen ­Arsenal’s goalkeeping ­department and sees ­Al-Habsi as the ­perfect man to provide ­serious ­competition to ­Wojciech ­Szczesny.

Wenger has been tracking Al-Habsi since last season and is now ready to make a move after being ­unconvinced by the displays of Szczesny’s current deputy Vito Mannone.

Although Mannone made some good saves in ­Szczesny’s absence through injury, Wenger has decided he needs two top-class keepers – and the Italian remains some way short of that standard.

Al-Habsi has produced a string of impressive ­performances since joining Wigan from Bolton in the summer of 2011, and the 30-year-old is now viewed as one of the best keepers in the Premier League.

Wigan’s valuation of ­Al-Habsi is a hefty £7million – but Wenger has plenty of funds at his ­disposal for ­January and the board will not stand in his way.

Oman international Al-Habsi would be eligible to play in the Champions League this season for ­Arsenal – another attraction for Wenger, who will also ­renew efforts to sell some of his unwanted players in ­January.

Liverpool boss Brenadan Rodgers is on the lookout for somebode to provide serious competition to and possibly replace out-of-sorts Pepe Reina, and has ­highlighted Al-Habsi as a potential target as well.

Wigan manager Roberto Martinez has insisted he is under no pressure to sell ­Al-Habsi, while the player claims he is not pushing for a move.

But both Wenger and ­Rodgers would be confident of ­convincing Al-Habsi to join them. Rodgers is also interested in Michel Vorm, who he managed at Swansea and who has also been watched by Arsenal.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/arsenal-will-rival-liverpool-for-wigan-goalkeeper-1441429

As we all know, we should have kept him...

We sold him to fund Ngog, then allowed Jussi to leave on a free......a masterstroke of the highest order by Coyle and the board.

If he is valued at 7million then I can't see Wenger spending that much on a goalkeeper and I can't see liverpool buying him with Reina as their number 1.

Another example of Coyle's football judgement.

To be fair Wigan offered £3m for our reserve keeper - difficult to turn down.

Thanks Owen another masterstroke in the transfer market from you.

Did you remember to include a sell on clause as well?

I thought not!

Natasha Whittam wrote:To be fair Wigan offered £3m for our reserve keeper - difficult to turn down.

Agreed, it was closer to 4 as well.

4 million for a reserve keeper, everyone is a genius in hindsight, but I think that was ok.

Also I think there was a buy clause in his loan contract anyway.



And I suspect this article it total bull, most posted on the mirror is, especially when it posts no quotes, sources or references.

Also if I was a 'top club' poaching lower clubs keepers id have Vorm.

aaron_bwfc wrote: I can't see liverpool buying him with Reina as their number 1.

It seems Rodgers is not over keen about Reina. Rodgers has been picking Jones for the last few games and only reinstated Reina yesterday.

Al Habsi would be a top class keeper with a decent back four in front of him. One of our biggest mistakes was selling him to Wigan.

Agreed hindsight is a wonderful thing, but some of us were unhappy with the sale of Al Habsi at the time and thought he was definitely a keeper (pun intended).

Will they still be interested after this