Arsenal are reportedly planning on replacing Petr Cech with Atletico Madrid’s goalkeeper, Jan Oblak.

The link isn’t new, since Goal have been claiming Arsenal have been watching the 23-year-old since at least November. However, for obvious reasons, they say that the Gunners are unwilling to meet Slovenian player’s €100m/£85m valuation.

Now, according to Calciomercato and FichajesMundo Deportivo are claiming that we’re lining the goalkeeper up as a replacement for Cech, whose contract runs out in 2019.

Oblak is one of the highest rated young goalkeepers in Europe and it would certainly be quite a statement if we did spend big on Cech’s successor. However, if true, this also suggests that perhaps the writing is on the wall for Wojciech Szczesny, who’s currently enjoying his second season on loan at Roma.

The 26-year-old was always assumed to be Arsenal’s long-term shot-stopper but if we buy Oblak, this doesn’t look like it’ll be the case.

Oblak is contracted with Atletico until 2021 but has kept seven clean sheets in 15 La Liga appearances just this season, as well as four in six in the Champions League. An amazing record for such a young goalkeeper.

The link is also interesting given rumours that Atletico boss, Diego Simeone, could head to Arsenal within the next couple of seasons.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7Y_zyb6P_Q