Petr Cech to be made Arsenal's highest earning goalkeeper

Arsenal are set to make Petr Cech the highest paid goalkeeper in the club's history as a move to the Emirates draws close for the Chelsea man, according to the Daily Mirror.

The Gunners are set to start the new season with a new number one, with both Wojciech Szczesny and David Ospina failing to impress the manager with their performances.

Szczesny's gaffe against Southampton on New Year's Day cost Arsenal three crucial points, following which he was relegated to the bench in favour of Ospina, who did a commendable job till the end of the season.

However, with Cech coming in, Ospina is reportedly prepared for a transfer to Turkey where Fenerbahce are expected to be interested. The keeper joined Arsenal from Nice last season and could last only a year at the Emirates, an unprecedented event under Wenger.

Meanwhile, Cech will add some much needed experience at the back, something the Gunners have failed to address since Jens Lehmann's departure. The 33-year-old has been a brilliant servant for Chelsea for over a decade, winning four league titles and a Champions League trophy.

At Arsenal, he will be the number one choice, unlike at Stamford Bridge where he has been superseded by Thibaut Courtois following his return from Atletico Madrid. The report states that he will be given £100,000($158,810)-a-week to start proceedings at Arsenal, a sizeable wage for a player in his thirties.

Meanwhile, Serie A club Roma have expressed an interest in signing Szczesny on loan, but the Pole is refusing to budge and wants to stay as understudy to Cech at the club. First team goalkeeping coach Tony Roberts has been shown the door and has been given the same position at Swansea, where he will be working with Lukasz Fabianski.

The move has opened up a place in the backroom staff, where Cech is likely to bring along his coach Christophe Lollichon, who has been with him since he joined Chelsea.