Arsenal and Chelsea prepared to battle for top goalkeeper target

A report in The Express claims that Jan Oblak is the subject of interest from both Arsenal and Chelsea as they aim to rebuild after disappointing seasons in the Premier League.

The Slovenia international is considered among the very best goalkeepers in the world and would undoubtedly command a huge fee.

Indeed, it would take an offer well in excess of the current record transfer fee for a goalkeeper to convince Ateltico to sell, with the 25-year-old making a real impression in Madrid over the past three seasons.

In that time the former Benfica keeper has kept 57 clean sheets in La Liga, which is at least 24 more than closest rival Marc-Andre her Stegen and easily in excess of one every other game for Diego Simeone’s side.

This season has been no different, with Oblak conceding just 14 goals in 29 league games, boasting the best save success rate in all of Europe’s top 5 leagues (88.3%).

That figure is a marked improvement on both Thibaut Courtois (68.7%) and Petr Cech (66.4%), and while Chelsea would be keen to keep the former - with contract negotiations stalling amidst reports that the former Atleti keeper is hoping for a return to Spain - Arsenal are all but certain to sign a new number one this summer.

It’s been a difficult campaign for veteran stopper Cech after all, with a number of high profile errors suggesting that the 35-year-old is past his peak.