Arsenal set to move for German keeper Bernd Leno

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Bengaluru, March 21: Arsenal are said to be lining up a £25million summer move for Bayer Leverkusen goalkeeper Bernd Leno.

The German shotstopper has been identified as Petr Cech’s Emirates successor by the club’s head of recruitment Sven Mislintat who was formerly at Borussia dortmund and is well aware of the capabilities of the German custodian.

The Gunners want to get the deal sorted out as quickly as possible to head off interest from Liverpool and Napoli.

Leno, whose contract runs until 2020, has made it clear he wants a new challenge after seven years at the BayArena with Leverkusen.

He is line to go to the World Cup this summer as Germany’s third- choice keeper behind Manuel Neuer and Marc-Andre ter Stegen

And he believes a big-money move to a high- profile club will improve his chances of adding to his six international caps.

Former Dortmund chief scout Mislintat has already used his Bundesliga links to lure Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Henrikh Mkhitaryan to North London.

And, the Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is relying on him to negotiate an agreement with Leverkusen.

Wenger has decided to sign a long-term goalkeeper after his team leaked more goals than any other top-six team this season.

Petr Cech, now 35 years of age, became the first keeper to reach 200 Premier League clean sheets last week but has been poor by his standards this season.

While back-up keeper David Ospina is not regarded as good enough to be the regular No 1.

Both Cech and Ospina have one more year to run on their contracts and are unlikely to be offered new deals.

Ospina has twice rejected a move to Turkey in recent years but could be shipped out this summer as Arsenal would like to get some cash.

Cech earns £100,000 a week and would be a drain on the wage bill if he is only going to be sitting on the bench.

Bringing Leno would mean that either Cech or Ospina will be sold by the Gunners and it is more likely to be Cech than Ospina as the former is on a higher wage.