Arsenal ready to make shock move for Fulham starPublished 23:00 25/05/10 By John Cross
Arsene Wenger is ready to turn to Fulham veteran Mark Schwarzer to solve his goalkeeper crisis.
MirrorFootball revealed on May 15 that Arsenal had scouted Schwarzer in Fulham's final two home games of the season.
And the 37-year-old has now moved up the pecking order after the Gunners were scared off other targets by sky high prices.
Arsenal have also looked at AZ Alkmaar's Sergio Romero and Shakhtar Donetsk keeper Andriy Pyatov but Wenger would rather stick with his current crop of keepers than pay over the odds for a new first choice.
But Wenger believes he may be able to get Schwarzer at a good price because of the Aussie international's age. He only has a one-year contract at Fulham and they may be willing to let him go.
Schwarzer would also be a good solution for Arsenal as Wenger does not want to sign a big-name who will block the progress of his emerging young keepers at the Emirates.
Arsenal have particularly high hopes for 20-year-old Polish Wojciech Szczesny, who spent last season on loan at Brentford and may be loaned out next year to a Championship club.
Wenger lost faith with Manuel Almunia at the end of last season and he missed the run-in, blaming a wrist injury. But Lukasz Fabianski's run of games ended in disaster after a string of mistakes.
Ironically, Schwarzer also made a mistake against Arsenal in Fulham's final game of the season as his blunder gifted the Gunners an opening goal in the Europa League finalists' defeat at the Emirates.
Arsenal have already brought in Marouane Chamakh on a Bosman-style free transfer from Bordeaux and, together with a new keeper, they also want a centre-half.
But they are definitely NOT interested in Fulham's Brede Hangeland. Wenger rates the giant Norwegian highly, but Hangeland is no longer on Arsenal's radar. But they are tracking Dynamo Kiev's Senegalese centre half Pape Diakhate.
Palermo's Danish defender Simon Kjaer is interesting several Premier League clubs but his £10m buy-out clause ends this month. William Gallas is set to quit the Gunners while Sol Campbell, 35, will sign a new one-year deal.
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