David Ospina’s father has said that Napoli are keen to sign him permanently, with the goalkeeper currently on loan at the Serie A club from Arsenal.

Hernàn Ospina said that the Italian club are hoping to keep his son in Naples after his loan deal expires, following a strong start to the season for the Colombian.

Ospina’s contract contains a 30 game clause, which means if he reaches that number of appearances then Napoli would have to sign him permanently, as per the agreement.

Speaking to Italian radio station Radio Marte, Hernàn said: “Yes, I hear it said here by all the media, Napoli want to keep him regardless of the 30 games.

“He is happy, has a good contract, is doing very well with the whole team and is at one of the best clubs in Italy.”

Ospina’s status at ​Arsenal took a blow after the summer signing of Bernd Leno from Bayer Leverkusen. He requested a loan move so he could gain proper playing time, joining Serie A side Napoli weeks later.

Ospina has made 11 appearances this season for ​Napoli, keeping three clean sheets. He has featured in ​Serie A and the Champions League, where they sit second in both competitions.

Speaking about his son, Hernàn added: “He is very professional and dedicated to his job. He is a person who usually shares everything with us parents, and is a man who sacrifices himself for his team. He is a great boy and is focused on giving his best for Naples and his national team.”

Ospina joined Arsenal from Nice in 2014, following an impressive World Cup with Colombia that saw them reach the Quarter-Finals in Brazil.

Ospina was the second-choice goalkeeper at Arsenal last season, behind the experienced Petr Cech. Despite this, the Colombian made 21 appearances for the Gunners, keeping nine clean sheets across four competitions.

Hernàn has big hopes for the Napoli goalkeeper, saying: “He is living a great moment. We believe he can become one of the best goalkeepers in the world, this is our hope.”

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Scouts from Premier League sides Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal were reportedly in attendance at Wembley Stadium on Sunday afternoon to watch Croatia goalkeeper Lovre Kalinić in action against England.

The 28-year-old, who stands two metres tall, was promoted to the position of Croatia’s number one following the 2018 World Cup, which saw Danijel Subašić retire following a series of heroic displays in the tournament. Kalinić has been with Belgian side Gent since 2016, and was awarded the Belgian Professional Goalkeeper of the Year prize in his first season at the club.

According to the Sun, scouts from ​Crystal Palace and Watford were also present at the match to keep an eye on the stopper, along with representatives from a host of unnamed clubs from across Europe. Clearly, Kalinić’s intimidating frame and shot-stopping ability make him an alluring prospect, and he could jump at the chance to make a big move to the Premier League.

The keeper made a string of saves to keep his side in the ​game against a spirited England side on Sunday, but conceded twice late on as his side tumbled out of the UEFA Nations League Group A4 and into the B division. Nevertheless, it was a prime opportunity for the keeper to showcase his talents, and he could well have stirred some more interest in his services.

​Spurs goalkeeper Hugo Lloris has become increasingly error-prone in recent seasons, while ​Arsenal are yet to decide whether to stick with veteran Petr Čech or summer signing Bernd Leno as their regular man between the posts. Watford and Palace could be a more likely destination for the keeper, who is yet to prove himself at a top quality side.

Meanwhile, ​Juventus are rumoured to have prepared a big money contract offer for Aaron Ramsey, whose current deal with the Gunners expires at the end of the season. I Bianconerri are believed to be intent on signing the Wales international on a free transfer, and are reportedly ready to offer him a deal worth £10m-a-year to secure his services.

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Arsenal defender Julio Pleguezuelo has spoken of a potential summer transfer if he is not offered a contract extension.

The 21-year-old made his senior debut for the Gunners last month, playing in the 2-1 Carabao Cup win over Blackpool. However, Pleguezuelo has hinted at the possibility of returning to his native Spain.

Speaking in an interview to Marca, Pleguezuelo said: “I’m waiting to see how everything develops, I have to talk to my representative. My goal is to stay at Arsenal.

“I would like to continue and, if it is not here in England – I have offers in Spain. But at the moment it’s not my idea to go back.”

Pleguezuelo joined the Arsenal youth setup in 2013, moving from Barcelona’s renowned La Masia academy. It was the first time he had left Spain, although he has been loaned back twice to Mallorca and Gimnàstic.

Since then, the Spaniard has been playing in Arsenal’s under-23 team, where this season he has been captain in the Premier League 2.

Pleguezuelo added: “I had options to go out in the summer, but I wanted to stay here. The first step I have already made with this debut, now what I want is to continue having opportunities in the first team.” 

If the 21-year-old wants to truly break into the first team, he will face a lot of competition. Unai Emery has a pool of experienced defenders, including Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Laurent Koscielny.

However, Pleguezuelo does not view them as competition, saying: “I do not see them as enemies, just the opposite. For my part, what I will do is continue to give the coach reasons to, when he trusts me, be prepared.”

Pleguezuelo has represented Spain at youth level before, last playing in 2014 for the under-18s. In the future, he has big aspirations for his international career, hoping to one day represent La Roja at the highest level.

When asked about his aims, he said: “Succeeding at a high level and, above all, being able to play a World Cup with Spain. But now I have to go step by step and keep jumping like the one that has arrived with the Cup debut.”

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​Arsenal, Crystal Palace and Tottenham have formed a trio of London clubs interested in signing Porto captain Hector Herrera. 

The midfielder has spent the last six seasons with Porto, but his contract is set to expire next summer, leading to a number of clubs circling for his signature.

According to Portuguese news outlet Record, Arsenal, Palace and Tottenham are the latest clubs in a long list to ‘declare’ their interest in Herrera, with the Mexican has also allegedly attracting interest from Serie A giants Inter and Roma.

With his current deal expiring in the summer, Herrera would be free to negotiate with other teams in January with a view to a summer transfer.

Herrera has been a key fixture in the Porto side this season, making 14 appearances across the league and Champions league and scoring three goals in the process. Herrera was also part of the Mexico side that competed at the World Cup in the summer, and he was influential during the side’s victory over Germany in the group stages. 

He could be on Arsenal’s radar as a potential replacement for Aaron Ramsey, with the Gunners having withdrawn from contract talks with the Welshman. Tottenham, meanwhile, could be looking for a midfield addition of their own, with concerns growing over the fitness and form of ​Mousa Dembele. 

Roy Hodgson’s Palace need additional quality and experience in their midfield ranks – and Herrera would certainly tick all the boxes as the Eagles look to elevate themselves to the next level.

At 28, Herrera has entered the prime of his career and this could be his last chance for a major European move. His energy and toughness in the tackle could see him thrive in the Premier League, but whether or not he ends up in England remains to be seen. 

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Arsenal and Tottenham are set to go head-to-head in the race to sign Sampdoria’s Joachim Andersen.

The Danish youth international has made a bright start to the season, having kept five clean sheets in his opening 12 games in Serie A. His performances have generated significant interest ever since he moved to Sampdoria from Dutch side FC Twente in the summer of 2017.

Aged just 22, he’s on the brink of receiving a first senior international call up for Denmark, having made 14 appearances for the Under-21s. National team manager Age Hareide has been keeping a close eye on Andersen’s performances in ​Serie A and has been impressed with what he’s seen.

He certainly is a player to watch out for and although he may have spent just a season and a half in Italy, he may be on the move once again very soon. According to ​CalcioMercato, two of Sampdoria’s key club officials – sporting director Carlo Osti and lawyer Antonio Romeo –

have travelled to London for talks with representatives from both ​Arsenal and ​Tottenham.

Spurs’ interest potentially stems from the possible departures of Belgian duo Jan Vertonghen, whose contract is up in the summer, and Toby Alderweireld, who has been continually linked with a move to Manchester United. As a result, Mauricio Pochettino may be tempted to act sooner rather than later by bringing in some defensive reinforcements.

As for the Gunners, they strengthened marginally at the back during the summer window with the signing of Sokratis, but it’s thought that manager Unai Emery wishes to add further depth. Having already taken Lucas Torreira from Sampdoria in the summer, the Spaniard may be set to raid them once more for Andersen.

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