Arsenal Set Asking Price for Out of Favour Goalkeeper Amid Besiktas & Boca Juniors Interest

Arsenal are prepared to let goalkeeper David Ospina leave this summer for a fee of £7.1m, according to reports in Turkey. The Colombian shot stopper has been

Arsenal are prepared to let goalkeeper David Ospina leave this summer for a fee of £7.1m, according to reports in Turkey.

The Colombian shot stopper has been deemed surplus to requirements at the Emirates Stadium by new Gunners boss Unai Emery, and is a reported target for Besiktas and Boca Juniors.

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And Turkish news outlet AMK, as cited by Turkish Football, claim that Besiktas are the most likely candidates to sign the 29-year-old, but are struggling to meet both Arsenal and Ospina's demands.

The Black Eagles are looking for a goalkeeper following the departure of Spanish shot stopper Fabri to Fulham in a £5.3m deal, and have targeted Ospina as the ideal replacement alongside Liverpool's Simon Mignolet and Bursaspor's Harun Tekin.

The Turkish Super Lig side might also take the Colombian on a loan deal with an option to buy at a later date if they continue to fail to meet the Premier League side's asking price.

Ospina arrived in north London from French side Nice in the summer of 2014 for £3m, and has made 70 appearances in all competitions for the Gunners in those four seasons. 

However, the 29-year-old is now third-choice 'keeper at Arsenal following the summer arrival of German international shot stopper Bernd Leno from Bayern Leverkusen.

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And the rise of young Gunners 'keeper Emiliano Martinez, who has travelled with the Gunners on their pre-season tour of Singapore, means that there is no space for Ospina in Emery's three goalkeeper quota for the forthcoming season. 

Despite a significant interest from Argentinian side Boca Juniors, Ospina has expressed his desire to stay in Europe as opposed to returning to South America, where he has not played since leaving Colombian side Atletico Nacional in 2008. 

Ospina's representatives told Colombian radio station Crack Deportivo earlier this summer that the 29-year-old has already been informed by Arsenal that he is no longer needed at the club, and now the 'keeper is looking at other options.

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His agent said, "David has a contract for two more years at Arsenal, but there is an archer, so it can be a complete cycle and if there are no options in Europe, Boca is a great option because it is within the 10 largest teams in the world."

Ospina is also a key player for the Colombian national side, and has been capped 90 times by La Tricolor, most recently at this summer's World Cup over in Russia, where his national side were knocked out at the last-16 by England on penalties.