GERMAN goalkeeper Markus Schubert snubbed an Arsenal transfer in order to sign for Schalke.
Unai Emery is in the market for a new stopper following Petr Cech’s retirement at the end of last season.
Gunners chiefs wanted the 21-year-old to act as competition for countryman Bernd Leno, who was handed the No1 jersey for the upcoming season.
However, German outlet SPORT1 claim Schubert cancelled his move to the Emirates in order to sign for Schalke from Dynamo Dresden and replace Alexander Nubel, 22, who looks set to leave.
He has signed a four-year deal at Veltins-Arena with a release clause included.
It comes as a major blow for Arsenal having sold stopper David Ospina to Napoli for just £3.5m following the Coloumbian’s loan spell last season.
The Gunners expected Schubert to arrive to replace Cech and Ospina with scouts deployed last season to watch the Dynamo Dresden man in action.
With Arsenal in need of a back-up keeper, club legend David Seaman told football.london his former side should sign out of sorts Burnley keeper Joe Hart or Stoke’s Jack Butland.
Seaman said: “I think they should be trying to get a more experienced keeper in as Leno’s number two.
“I know they’ve got some really talented young keepers in Emi Martinez, Deyan Iliev, Matt Macey and Arthur Okonkwo, but I just think they could do with an older number two.
“Those lads are real talents but they’ve not got an awful lot of experience at the top, top level.
“It would be a big step for them to come in and be Leno’s number two in the Premier League after being on loan or playing for the U23s.
“I don’t think they need someone like Schubert as Leno’s number two either – why not look at Joe Hart or Jack Butland as a number two?
“They have loads of experience. That’s the sort of quality they should be looking at as the club’s number two at the moment.”
