by Lewis Ambrose

Wojciech Szczesny has already arrived in Rome ahead of his loan move to Serie A side AS Roma, and the Mirror are reporting that it will eventually become permanent.

Last week Arsène Wenger confirmed talks between the two clubs and said a deal was nearing completing, but was eager to insist that the Polish goalkeeper still has a future at Arsenal.

“Szczesny is a top-class goalkeeper,” Wenger said on Friday.

“I believe he will have a future at Arsenal. I personally rate him highly – you do not take a boy and put him in the first team at the age of 20 [if you don’t].”

But now the Mirror are claiming that Roma will have the option to make the deal permanent for a fee of £5M.

Last season saw Szczesny dropped from Premier League duty but he played every game in the FA Cup as Arsenal went on to lift the trophy. The 25 year-old is clearly trusted by Wenger –  otherwise he wouldn’t have played in the final – and the Arsenal manager has insisted that the goalkeeper still has an Arsenal future.

First he has to prove himself in Rome if he is to return with any chance of playing for Arsenal again. Petr Čech is the clear number one heading into the new season and, at 33, could have a few more years at the top left in him yet.

It would be a surprise if Arsenal include a clause to allow Roma to sign the Pole permanently without giving him another chance to prove himself, but details will probably emerge when the deal is officially completed.