David Ospina’s father, Hernan, says Napoli want to keep his son at the club regardless of whether he reaches the minimum number of appearances for the season.

Speaking to Radio Marte in Italy, Ospina’s father admitted that his son is happy in Italy, and they think he can become one of the best goalkeepers in the world there.

Arsenal and Napoli agreed that the Colombian’s loan would become compulsory if he made 30 appearances this season, but the latest reports suggest the Italian club are now planning to activate their option either way.

“Yes, I hear it said here by all the media,” Hernan responded when asked about his son joining Napoli on a permanent basis. “Napoli wants to keep him regardless of the 30 games. He is happy, has a good contract, is doing very well with the whole team and is in one of the best clubs in Italy.

“David calls me before every game. He is very professional and dedicated to his job. He is a person who usually shares everything with us parents, is a man who sacrifices himself for his team, is a great boy and is focused on giving his best for Naples and his national team.

“He is living a great moment. We believe he can become one of the best goalkeepers in the world, this is our hope.”

At this point in mid-November, Ospina has already reached 11 appearances for his loan club, so it’s already looking likely that he’ll make it to 30 by the end of the season anyway. However, when summer signing Alex Meret returns from injury, we may see him pushing for starts. It’s up to Ospina to keep his place.

From the sounds of things, there are no plans for Arsenal’s 30-year-old goalkeeper to return to the club next season. The Gunners already have Bernd Leno performing well with Petr Cech and Emi Martinez ready to snap up any chances they get, so it’s probably for the best.