Arsenal and Brighton & Hove Albion are reportedly toying with the idea of moving for an Aston Villa goalkeeper in 2025.
Both the Gunners and Seagulls have enjoyed a strong start to the new campaign, sitting in third and fifth position in the Premier League table.
Furthermore, Mikel Arteta and Fabian Hurzeler have established options between the sticks for the upcoming campaign.
David Raya is the undisputed number one at the Emirates Stadium, while Bart Verbruggen and Jason Steele have shared duties at the Amex Stadium.
Nevertheless, both situations will change at the end of the season, with current Arsenal loanee Neto in line to return to parent club Bournemouth.
Meanwhile, Verbruggen has been heavily linked with a move to a bigger club with Bayern Munich said to be admirers of the Netherlands international.
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Villa prospect emerges as potential transfer target
As a result, the two sides will already be assessing their potential options, with players who fit the homegrown criteria possibly taking priority.
According to The Telegraph, Villa goalkeeper Oliwier Zych has emerged as an attractive option ahead of the turn of the year.
Zych's only five appearances for Villa have been in the EFL Trophy, the latest two in this year's competition, and he is viewed as fourth choice in the pecking order.
However, there is currently the expectation that he will choose to leave Villa at the end of his contract in June, rather than entertain a renewal.
Emiliano Martinez is in line to remain as Villa number one for several more seasons, while Robin Olsen and Joe Gauci are regarded as next in line.
Having been at Villa since 2020, Zych is viewed as a homegrown talent and therefore would tick an important box in terms of squad registration rules for Premier League admirers.
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Where did Zych play last season?
During the 2023-24 campaign, the 20-year-old featured on 26 occasions for Polish top-flight side Puszcza Niepolomice, keeping seven clean sheets.
Zych would go on to earn a spot in Poland's provisional squad for Euro 2024, but an injury took him out of contention for a place in the final group.
Darren Plant
