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Former Barcelona executive Raul Sanllehi is apparently working with Arsenal to bring in a world-class replacement for Petr Cech in the summer.

Cech, now 35, has been prone to a handful of individual mistakes this term and it seems that Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has been lining up a suitable replacement for the Czech Republic international.

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It is thought that he doesn’t consider reserve keeper David Ospina a suitable long-term replacement, despite already having him on the books at Arsenal.

According to Sport, Sanllehi has been linking up with Arsenal to orchestrate a move for Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Jan Oblak, despite facing fierce competition from Paris Saint-Germain.

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The Ligue 1 leaders have been very willing to pay out hefty fees for world-class talent this year, but Arsenal remain confident of striking a deal with Oblak now that they have Sanllehi on their side.

The 25-year-old keeper, who joined Atletico from Benfica in 2014, currently has a release clause in his contract of around £89m and it is understood that Atletico will not accept anything less than that figure for the Slovenian international.

If Oblak were to move for anywhere near that figure, it would obliterate the £34m Manchester City paid for Ederson last summer, making him the most expensive goalkeeper in history.

With arrivals in January strengthening Arsenal’s front-line, the focus now seems to be definitively on the defence, with finding a replacement for the ageing Cech now a top priority.