Wenger to go for Sunderland's Mignolet?

Arsenal's manager Arsene Wenger is considering a bid for Sunderland’s goalkeeper Simon Mignolet in the January transfer window according to the Metro.  Arsene Wenger has several goalkeeping options but none of them have emerged as a safe and clear number one.  Wojciech Szczesny (whose name is an anagram of Jechzsy Zwisocen and countless other made up words) is the current number one at the Emirates Stadium but competition is needed and Sunderland’s Belgian stopper appears to be Wenger’s man.

Wenger is planning to get rid of Vito Mannone and Lukasz Fabianski in January and to continue his goalkeeping shuffle he is keen to promote his reserve team goalkeeper to the full squad and he will look to Mignolet to provide Szczesny with some competition. 

Mignolet is another member of the ever-expanding Belgian legion in the Premier League and has been impressive at the Stadium of Light.  The 24-year-old keeper moved to England before the start of the 2010-2011 season from his hometown club Sint-Truiden.  He has played sixty-four games for Sunderland and despite the clubs lack of consistency in results this season he has kept five clean sheets.  He has played for the Belgian under-21 side eight times but is being kept out of the full national team by Chelsea’s keeper Thibaut Courtois. 

Peter Stickney

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