Arsenal and Chelsea Reportedly Make Enquiry for Barcelona Goalkeeper With €60m Buyout Clause

Premier League rivals Arsenal and Chelsea have been credited with interest in Barcelona back up goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen, with the London pair both seemingly in the market for a new stopper ahead of the 2018/19 season.

The Gunners could look to move on from Petr Cech, whose form has dropped considerably in recent months, while Chelsea may need a new number one if Thibaut Courtois is poached by Real Madrid.

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According to Sport, Arsenal and Chelsea have each enquired about Cillessen's availability. And while Barça are said to be unwilling to sell unless a buyer triggers the Dutchman's €60m (£52.5m) buyout clause, it could come down to the player himself.

Cillessen has been second choice to Marc-Andre ter Stegen since making the move to Camp Nou from Ajax in 2016 and made no secret of his desire to play more games last summer.

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So far, the 29-year-old has played 21 times for Barça but as many as 17 of those games have come in the Copa del Rey alone. He has played once in La Liga in each of his two seasons, as well as once in the Champions League during each campaign as well.

In addition to Chelsea and Arsenal's supposed interest, the Dutch stopper has also been linked Liverpool, as rumours surrounding the Reds' search for a new keeper only increasing since Loris Karius' Champions League final blunders.

Cillessen rose to prominence during the 2014 World Cup as a Netherlands side, who were largely unfancied before the tournament, finished third after a remarkable run to the semi finals.

At that time, Cillessen had only been Ajax number one for a few months and can perhaps be considered as something of a late bloomer. It is worth noting that he was Ajax Player of the Year in each of his final two seasons with the club.