Arsenal and Liverpool reignite interest in Guillermo Ochoa

Premier League top four chances Arsenal (odds-on at 4/9 with Coral) and Liverpool (4/1) will go head-to-head again this coming summer over Mexico number one Guillermo Ochoa, following their own goalie gambles.

Ochoa, 29, turned down rumoured interest from both the Gunners and Brendan Rodgers’ Reds after an impressive World Cup with the Aztecs in Brazil, and joined La Liga side Malaga from Ligue 1 Corsican club Ajaccio instead.

This move to La Rosaleda has not worked out for Ochoa, however, as he has been benched behind Cameroon keeper Idriss Carlos Kameni, and confined to appearances in the Copa del Rey.

Reports in Spain claim Ochoa wants to leave Malaga as a result, and Arsenal and Liverpool could reignite their interest in him following their own issues between the sticks this term.

Arsene Wenger dropped Poland stopper Wojciech Szczesny after he was reportedly caught smoking in the showers and replaced him with Colombia’s World Cup keeper David Ospina.

Rodgers, meanwhile, lost faith in Belgian custodian Simon Mignolet, favouring Australian goalie Brad Jones for a high-profile Premier League clash against Manchester United. The Reds boss was forced into an embarrassing U-turn, however, when the latter sustained an injury and Mignolet returned to Liverpool’s XI.

With more than 60 caps for his country, Ochoa starred for Miguel Herrera’s Mexico against World Cup hosts Brazil, keeping a clean sheet and this, along with two Man of the Match awards, raised his profile. See below to relive his stunning saves against the Samba Boys:

Compatriot Carlos Vela, now at David Moyes’ Real Sociedad, started his career with the Gunners and, with the north London club looking more likely to keep up their perfect Champions League qualification record under Wenger, this may be a more attractive destination. This is reinforced by Arsenal’s odds to finish outside the top four (13/8).

A switch to Anfield, meanwhile, may result in more game time, and that is what Ochoa has lacked since leaving French football for Spain. Rodgers’ Reds are massively odds-on at 1/7 to fail to get back in the Champions League, though.