Arsenal and Chelsea are reportedly keeping tabs on Peter Gulacsi, and are weighing up a move for the RB Leipzig goalkeeper
According to a report by ESPN, Peter Gulacsi is the subject of interest from Arsenal and Chelsea. The two Premier League rivals had scouts in attendance at the Allianz Arena to watch the Hungarian goalkeeper in action for RB Leipzig against Bayern Munich this past Saturday.
Gulacsi progressed through the ranks at MTK Budapest before joining Liverpool in 2008 on a permanent transfer. But, the Hungarian goalkeeper could never make grade within the Reds’ first-team setup, and was instead sent on several loan spells in the lower reaches in English league football.
Gulacsi finally left Liverpool in 2013 to join Red Bull Salzburg, where he finally had his breakthrough in top-flight football. In two seasons in Salzburg, the shot-stopper progressed impressively while playing a major role in their Bundesliga and Austrian Cup triumphs in 2013-14 and 2014-15.
After just two seasons with the club, Gulacsi joined sister club RB Leipzig in the summer of 2015, and has continued to go from strength to strength in Germany. In particular, the 27-year-old was impressive in Leipzig’s maiden Bundesliga campaign as they finished runners up to Bayern Munich.
Arsenal and Chelsea are interested in signing former Liverpool goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi from RB Leipzig (source: @ESPNFC) pic.twitter.com/Fkt7ymqDg9
— KickOff (@KickOff) November 1, 2017
In all, Gulacsi has made 64 appearances for Leipzig, and while he has kept just 15 clean sheets, he has made a mark with his shot stopping abilities. And his exploits have not gone unnoticed, with two of the most prominent names in England – Arsenal and Chelsea – tracking him.
Petr Cech has just 18 months remaining on his current deal at the Emirates, and as per the report, Arsenal have begun the process of identifying his long-term replacement, with David Ospina considered to be a second-choice goalkeeper at best.
Furthermore, the drop in the performance levels by the veteran goalkeeper suggests that the Gunners will need to find a more commanding presence in goal soon, making Gulacsi a viable target. Meanwhile, at Chelsea, Thibaut Courtois’ future is under a cloud, with no clarity over a renewal.
On top of that, Real Madrid are circling around the Belgian goalkeeper, having given up their pursuit of David De Gea. With Courtois believed to be one of the primary goalkeeping targets for Los Blancos, the Blues are considering their goalkeeping options, with Gulacsi emerging as an option.
The two London rivals have already had him monitored this past weekend, and are expected to continue monitoring the Hungary international over the course of the season. The fact that he is a homegrown player makes him an even more attractive target for the two clubs.
It now remains to be seen if Arsenal and Chelsea indeed launch the offensive to sign Gulacsi or if they move on to other targets as the goalkeeping spot continues to remain a concern for them for different reasons.
