Palermo goalkeeper Emiliano Viviano is set to undergo a medical at Arsenal on Sunday as Arsene Wenger looks to sign an experienced goalkeeper, according to reports in Sky Italia.
The reports states that the deal will be a season long loan with an option to buy next summer if things work out well for all parties.
The 6 ft 5 in stopper is contracted to Serie B outfit Palmero but spent a season on loan with Fiorentina last year helping the club to a fourth-place finish and Europa League qualification. Viviano was said to be keen to remain with Fiorentina but La Viola decided
against making the deal permanent.
Arsenal have been linked with a host of keepers this summer to back up Wojciech Szczesny, including Julio Cesar and Vicente Guaita. It would appear that Arsene Wenger has been put off Cesar due to his wage demands and refused to pay the asking price for Guaita. Viviano will add competition to the likes of Wojciech Szczesny and Lukasz Fabianski, both of whom have struggled to cement the number one jersey in recent weeks.
He began his career at Brescia and then impressed at Bologna, which led to Inter Milan signing him in the summer of 2011. However, a crucial knee injury meant he never represented the Italian giants and moved to Palermo. After the Sicilian side were relegated to Serie B, Viviano was linked with several clubs, including Roma, Torino, AC Milan and Napoli but was ultimately to Fiorentina.
Viviano lost his place in the Fiorentina starting line-up mid-way through last season, he has been involved in Cesare Prandelli’s Italy squad in the past and will be determined to secure a move to a top club in order to get his World Cup dream back on track.
The Gunners have been heavily criticised for failing to make significant additions during the summer transfer window, with free agents Yaya Sanogo and Mathieu Flamini the only new arrivals to date.
I think Viviano will be more of a squad player rather than getting straight into the line up and he’ll provide more competition for Fabianski for the No.2 spot instead of pushing Szczesny for a first team place, but you never know. It was expected that Wenger would bring someone who could directly compete with Szczesny for a starting spot but it looks like Wenger has again gone to his long standing belief that cheap is best.
Considering that Arsenal would only need to pay Palermo a loan fee, it means that Arsenal have not even spent a single penny on transfers this summer. It’s looking like Wenger has decided to spend all of the available £80 million on the final day isn’t it? That’s what Wenger said all summer if i am not wrong.
What say Gooners?
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