Tabloid Talk

Arsenal face competition to land young French shot-stopper

|
Image for Arsenal face competition to land young French shot-stopper

Arsenal could face competition from fellow Premier League side Watford in their pursuit of Toulouse goalkeeper Alban Lafont, according to the French newspaper L’Equipe.

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger has been keeping an eye on the 17-year-old’s progress for some time now, with scouts sent regularly since Lafont’s debut for the French side last November.

Yet, it now appears that Walter Mazzarri’s Watford have entered the race for the young shot-stopper, who is highly regarded in his native country as one of the future stars of French football.

Lafont, who has represented France at Under-16, 17, and 18 level, is the number one keeper at Toulouse, and has kept three clean sheets already this season, including a shut-out against Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain back in August.

The 17-year-old is the youngest ever goalkeeper to play in the French top-tier, and he continues to impress with a string of solid performances in the Toulouse goal.

Both Arsenal and Watford may look at Lafont as a long-term replacement for their current stoppers, with number one’s Petr Cech and Heurelho Gomes well into their 30s.

However, it has also been reported that the two Premier League clubs could face competition from Serie A champions Juventus and Portuguese giants FC Porto for the youngster’s signature.

The amount of interest in Lafont could spark a bidding war when the transfer window reopens in January, especially if he continues to impress between the sticks for Toulouse.

Share this article

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *