Arsene Wenger hints Arsenal will follow Barcelona in rotating goalkeepers after Petr Cech signing

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has suggested that following the arrival of Petr Cech at the Emirates Stadium he may rotate his goalkeepers, as Barcelona did last season on their road to a treble.

David Ospina has excelled between the Gunners' sticks since beating Wojciech Szczesny for the number one role halfway through last season.

But the French boss opted to take advantage of Cech's availability to lure him from their London rivals Chelsea earlier this summer in a deal that, according to BBC, was worth £10m ($14.1m).

The futures of Ospina and Szczesny at the Emirates Stadium have been under scrutiny, with the keepers aware that the new signing will restrict their playing time.

But while The Guardian reports that Szczesny is on the verge of a move on loan to Roma, Wenger has suggested Ospina may still have his chances next season.

The French boss has hailed the importance of having two top goalkeepers in his ranks and suggested the possibility of replicating Luis Enrique's methods at Barcelona last season – when Claudio Bravo played La Liga fixtures and Marc Andre Ter Stegen was the number one in both the Champions League and the Copa del Rey.

"Goalkeepers have a special problem in the game. If you have to talk about being No 2, you are in trouble. The goalkeeper will say: 'Yes I want to come but I want to play as well'. It's such a problem, and it was for Barcelona last year," Wenger said, as quoted by the Arsenal's official website.

"They played with one goalkeeper in the Champions League and one goalkeeper in the league. That shows you how much you need two goalkeepers, and how much you need to give them games as well."

Wenger, meanwhile, has explained the role played by Roman Abramovich in Cech's move to Arsenal, as the Chelsea owner gave his blessing to the deal despite some warning against bolstering a local rival. "The deal happened because of the special relationship that Petr Cech had with Roman Abramovich," the manager said.

"He had a promise from him that he could go out, no matter where, at a certain price, and that's why it happened. It wasn't a huge surprise for me because they couldn't keep him forever, at 33 years of age, as a No 2."

Furthermore, Wenger added that Cech will not only add his experience to the Arsenal squad but will serve as a mentor for the young keepers in the academy.

"He can help us with the continuity of his performances and can help us to develop our keepers, who are top talents. He can strengthen the belief in the team as well because when you sit in the dressing room and look around you, you need some people who can give you confidence."