Anytime a story linking Iker Casillas to Arsenal comes up, the first question that inevitably comes to mind is what would Arsenal need in such a goalkeeper with Wojciech Szczesny and David Ospina in the books of the club?
This is a normal question that any rational mind would ask in the event of such a link.
Yet, following the hard times that the Real Madrid legend is facing despite being restored as the club’s first choice goalkeeper after Diego Lopez was transferred to AC Milan.
The 33 year old was whistled by the Santiago Bernabeu crowd in the 2-1 defeat to city rivals Atletico Madrid.
As a result of these struggles, he has been linked away from the club as new signing Naylor Navas waits in the wings to take up the reigns from Iker Casillas.
The Spanish press has continually linked him to Arsenal as it did during the summer, and the same is being repeated because of his indifferent form to the season.
The reason why he has been linked to Arsenal range from the platform that Arsene Wenger’s side needs an experience head to man the stick, and the fact that the squad being a young one, needs a personality that commands the aura of experience at club and international level, a scenario which Iker Casillas fits.
Yet, as mentioned in the first paragraph, with Wojciech Szczesny and David Ospina who incidentally has not tasted any action for Arsenal, the Iker Casillas links is dead on arrival before the January transfer window.
The best bet of bringing him could have been during the summer when the club lost both it second and third choice goalkeepers in Lukas Fabianski and Emiliano Viviano in the summer, but because of his indifferent form last season, and his struggles at the World Cup, it was an option the club did not consider.
Why he would continue to be linked to North London because of the argument from Spanish quarters that Arsenal needs experience after all.
But, the emerging trend in the goalkeeping environment is a departure from sticking with veteran goalkeepers, the present trend has shifted to young and agile goalkeepers, a common trend amongst the top clubs in Europe.
It looks unlikely that Arsenal would depart from that trend, and consider a goalkeeper that is a declining force in the game.
The whistles Iker Casillas was subjected to last weekend has led to this link, what it potentially means is that every poor performance from the 33 year old would elicit a link to Arsenal, but with Wojciech Szczesny and David Ospina in the frame it remains just media talk.
