Football News
O'Neill debacle moves Schwarzer closer to exit
Mark Schwarzer has moved closer to a move to Arsenal after Aston Villa goalkeeper Brad Friedel admitted that he would like to join the Lilywhites in the summer transfer window.
The news was a contributing factor in the resignation of O’Neill with Arsenal set to make a new offer for the big Aussie in the hope of clinching the 37-year-old’s signature this week.
Arsene Wenger has tracked Mark Schwarzer since the beginning of the summer and is the Frenchman’s first choice recruit with the Gunner’s boss looking to sign a senior stopper at the club. The Arsenal manager has been linked recently with a move for either Joe Hart or Shay Given, depending on which keeper is made number 1 at the Eastlands stadium, however the club are reluctant to sell to a prized asset to a Premier League rival.
Schwarzer is eager to link up with the Gunner’s in order to fulfill his dream of playing in the Champions League and is also thought to be keen on a coaching role moving forward at the club. Reports have suggested that Friedel is keen on a reunion with former Blackburn Rovers boss Mark Hughes after a successful relationship at Ewood Park, with the USA international the ideal replacement for outgoing Schwarzer.
The 39-year-old American has his heart set on finishing his playing days alongside his former boss, while Ulsterman O’Neill was unhappy that the board even entertained the thought of the departure of the American keeper, along with the sale of James Milner and the uncertainty surrounding Ashley Young and Gabriel Agbonlahor. It is also thought that the club were unwilling to re-invest transfer funds into O’Neill’s budget.
With Gunner’s manager Arsene Wenger having seen first choice keeper duo Manuel Almunia and Lukasz Fabianski make high profile errors at the tail end of last term, Arsenal have been keeping tabs on potential replacements between the sticks. Fulham’s Mark Schwarzer has been the individual most regularly linked with it believed that Wenger has had an offer rejected by the Fulham hierarchy earlier this summer.