Arsenal have reportedly opened talks with AZ Alkmaar in pursuit of their goalkeeping wonderkid Jasper Schendelaar
Italian publication TuttoMercatoWeb have claimed that Arsenal are showing interest in AZ Alkmaar prodigy Jasper Schendelaar. The teenage goalkeeper, who is touted as one of the future superstars of the Dutch setup, is on the radar of Arsenal as Arsene Wenger eyes an addition of a keeper in the youth ranks.
Jasper Schendelaar is a 16-year-old Dutch goalkeeper who has come up through the ranks at AZ Alkmaar. The player is yet to make his first-team debut for the Dutch outfit, but has impressed at various youth levels for the club. Schendelaar is widely regarded as one of the hottest young properties in Netherlands and is touted to grow into a future superstar.
The observers have claimed that the 16-year-old has the potential to become the best goalkeeper Netherlands has seen since Manchester United legend Edwin Van Der Sar. Schendelaar has represented Netherlands at various youth levels up to the under 17 level.
Arsenal Open Talks With AZ Alkmaar 16-year-old Goalkeeper Jasper Schendelaar https://t.co/R3fdFeNPPu
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Arsenal have the likes of Petr Cech, David Ospina and Emiliano Martinez on their books as options for the goalkeeping positions. But, while Petr Cech is ageing and is unlikely to maintain the high level of performances for long, David Ospina has been unhappy at the lack of first-team opportunities and may consider a move away from the Emirates in the near future.
That leaves Emiliano Martinez as the only long-term option available, and even though he has signed a new long-term deal at Arsenal and received the backing of Arsene Wenger, who has tipped Martinez to become a first-choice goalkeeper at the club, the Frenchman has been reportedly looking for a young goalkeeper to add to his ranks.
The Gunners have been linked with many goalkeeping wonderkids in recent times with the likes of Alban Lafont, Aniello Viscovo and Lucas Kayombo while they have also been reportedly interested in Atletico Madrid’s first-choice keeper Jan Oblak.
The report entails that the player could be prized away from AZ Alkmaar for a fee in the region of £2m (from TalkSport), an amount Wenger would happily part with to acquire a talent as good as Schendelaar. Who knows, Schendelaar may just turn out to be the next great Dutch keeper to grace the Premier League.
