Arsenal are considering a move for Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes, according to The Sun. The Spanish international is out of contract with the Spanish giants next season and has already confirmed he will leave the Nou Camp, either on a free in 2014 or in the coming summer. Barcelona have resigned themselves to losing their No 1 and will want £10m to allow him to leave at the end of this campaign.

Victor Valdes (R)
Reuters

The only problem here is that Valdes commands £120,000 per week at Barcelona and that could be a problem for Arsene Wenger. It really ought not to be though, considering Emirates' chiefs are planning to offer their manager up to £70m in transfer funds in the summer; a two-year extension to Wenger's contract is also reportedly in the pipeline.

Wenger has Polish internationals Wojciech Szczesny and Lukasz Fabianski, as well as Italian Vito Mannone as his options. However, both Fabianski and Mannone have failed to establish themselves in the first team and Szczesny needs top-class competition to ensure he stays in top form. The Gunners were strongly linked with Liverpool No 1 Pepe Reina earlier this season. However, the 30-year-old Madrid born shot stopper has since re-affirmed his position at Anfield and appears unlikely to leave. 19-year-old Jack Butland was also an option but he has signed for Stoke City.

Arsenal are fifth in the Premier League this season, 21 points behind leaders Manchester United. And unless there is a miraculous reversal of fortunes for a number of clubs, Wenger cannot win the league this year. Sunday's defeat to Blackburn means the north London side have now been eliminated from both the FA Cup and the Capital One Cup. This leaves the Champions League but given past form and immediate history, it is difficult to see how Arsenal could upset Germans Bayern Munich over two legs.

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