Liverpool and Arsenal to battle over £40m goalkeeper

Liverpool and Arsenal are set to go to battle in the summer of the signing of Stoke City goalkeeper, Jack Butland.

The former Birmingham City goalkeeper moved to the bet 365 stadium back in 2013 and, after a few loan moves in the Championship, eventually became the clubs number 1 goalkeeper in the 2015/16 campaign. He was restricted to just five appearances the following season due to a number of injuries but has come back strong this season.

He is one of few players who can hold their head high in what has been a difficult season for the Potters, and is in contention to be Englands first choice goalkeeper for this summers World Cup in Russia following Joe Harts struggles at West Ham.

Now, according to The Sun on Sunday, both Liverpool and Arsenal are set to go to battle over his signature, in a deal worth around £40m.

Liverpool’s goalkeeping issues have been one documented, with neither Simon Mignolet or Loris Karius making a great claim for the number one spot in recent years after a number of high profile errors. Reports suggest that Mignolet could be on his way out of the club after holding talks with Jurgen Klopp in recent weeks.

Meanwhile, Arsenal are also looking for a new long term first choice goalkeeper to replace the ageing Petr Cech. The former Chelsea stopper isn’t the ‘keeper he once was, and is starting to make more and more errors in his game. The latest was at struggling Swansea City which gifted the Swans a goal and ultimately all three points.

While Stoke will be reluctant to let Butland leave, the lure of joining a top six club could be too much to turn down, as could a world record fee for a goalkeeper.

That record was set last summer when Manchester City paid Benfica £35.7m for the services of Ederson Moraes, a move which finally broke the long standing record of Gigi Buffon moving to Juventus back in 2001.