Arsenal identify Bayer Leverkusen goalkeeper as new long term replacement for Petr Cech

London, March 7: Arsenal are looking at Bayer Leverkusen keeper Bernd Leno as a possible Summer recruitment as they look for a new long-term No.1 after Petr Cech's shaky display, as per reports.

The 35-year-old Petr Cech has been one of the legends of the game and certainly one of the best Premier League goalkeepers of all time, however, the veteran keeper seemed to have lost his Midas touch for the last two seasons and has been conceding soft goals for quite a time.

The Gunners who are currently sixth in the table has conceded the most number of goals, 41, among the top six sides in the league and Cech himself had been wrong in many of these.

The Czech professional footballer also conceded two soft goals in Arsenal's last week's 2-1 defeat in the hands of Brighton and seeing such poor display over a long time period, the Arsenal board have reportedly stepped up their interest in a goalkeeper and as per reports in Germany, they have targetted Bayer Leverkusen's German Keeper Bernd Leno who is available for just £22m.

The young goalkeeper is tied down at the Bundesliga club until 2020 but reportedly has a £22m buy-out clause in his contract.

Arsenal’s new head of recruitment Sven Mislintat, former head scout of Dortmund is well aware of most of the Bundesliga talents moreover their situations and apparently now pushing the Gunners board to secure the transfer of the goalkeeper.

Leno has become one of the promising goalkeepers in the German league since joining Leverkusen from Stuttgart in 2011.

He also revealed his desire to leave Leverkusen in the past however admitted that he would only leave his club only if he was guaranteed a starting spot at whichever club he opted to join.

He had said: "If I go abroad, it would not be as a number-one contender, but only as clear number one."

Cech next year will enter in his last year contract of Arsenal and with age not by his side it is very much unlikely that the Gunners board will offer him a new contract which mostly implies that should Leno opt to join the North London he could be a guaranteed starter.

Leno has been impressive for the Bundesliga side this term also and has started all 25 of Leverkusen's Bundesliga matches, conceding 33 goals and keeping seven clean sheets to keep his side in the hunt for a top-four spot, sitting fifth in the league.