Arsenal and Barcelona face a summer battle for Inter Milan goalkeeper Samir Handanovic, according to talkSPORT. The Catalans have reportedly made a £19.5m bid for the Slovenian international.

Tito Vilanova's side expect to lose present No 1 Victor Valdes, either this summer or the next. Arsenal, meanwhile, are believed to want a senior goalkeeper to add cover and competition for the young Polish duo of Wojciech Szczesny and Lukasz Fabianski.

Samir Handanovic
Reuters

However, the Nerazzurri have placed a £25.5m fee on their No 1 and are unwilling to listen to offers below that mark. The 28-year-old is reportedly keen on a move to Barcelona, which may force Arsene Wenger to offer increased financial compensation.

The point of concern for Gunners fans is, as ever, Wenger's unwillingness to spend big in the transfer market. Chief executive Ivan Gazidis has confirmed considerable "financial firepower" is available to the long-serving Arsenal manager but also insisted the board would not force their manager into signings to satisfy the fans.

Arsenal have been linked to a number of big name players this summer, all valued in the region of €20m; the list includes Real Madrid striker Gonzalo Higuain and Everton midfielder Marouane Fellaini.

However, in each of these cases, Wenger is reportedly dragging his heels over valuation. Instead, he has signed France U20 striker Yaya Sanogo and has been linked to an unknown quantity in the £6m rated Uzbekistan international midfielder Odil Ahmedov; the Gunners will reportedly offer only £4m.

Keeping Wenger's financial history in mind, QPR goalkeeper Julio Cesar is a more likely arrival at the Emirates. The 33-year-old Brazilian international has bags of the experience Wenger wants and, considering the former Inter Milan star is looking for a way out of the relegated Hoops, he will be open to a cut-price deal.

Isaac Hayden on Captaincy

Meanwhile, Gunners' youngster Isaac Hayden said he enjoys the responsibility of captaincy.

"It's funny really, my dad and my coaches always used to say I didn't talk enough. I did captain an under-12 team in France and we got to the final, but that was the first time ever," the 18-year-old midfielder said.

"After that, it wasn't really until the latter stages of under-16 football at Arsenal that I was given the captaincy again. Since then, I've haven't wanted to give it up and have improved on the leadership qualities needed," he added.

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