Eighteen Bundesliga clubs - and none wants Lehmann
Jens Lehmann's confrontational tendencies have earned him few
admirers since he joined Arsenal from Borussia Dortmund in 2003 and
it would appear that he is equally unwanted in Germany.
The 37-year-old goalkeeper has said he plans to retire after the
European Championships in 2008 and would like to play another
season in his homeland, but a survey by the German newspaper Bild
yesterday revealed that none of the 18 Bundesliga clubs wished to
sign him when his contract expires in June.
In line with Arsenal's policy for players over the age of 30,
Arsène Wenger has refused to grant Lehmann more than a one-year
extension to his current deal. This month the Arsenal manager said
he hoped to keep his No1 at the Emirates Stadium but he is
unwilling to accede to Lehmann's demand for a two-year
extension.
It was reported that the Germany international had attracted
interest from the Bundesliga and La Liga, with Hamburg, Stuttgart
and Sevilla all apparently prepared to offer him a two-year
contract, but he may now be forced to follow a former Arsenal
team-mate to Spain - Robert Pires joined Villareal last summer
after they offered him a longer deal than Arsenal.
Lehmann was free to sign a pre-contract agreement elsewhere during
the January transfer window and Wenger said negotiations would soon
take place. "Ideally I would like him to stay," said the manager.
"[But] he will not get more than one year."
In a scenario reminiscent to that so often faced by Dennis Bergkamp
during his final years in north London, Lehmann looks set for a
spell of uncertainty. "Arsenal have priority in the talks about my
future," he said last year. "A one-year offer is not so bad. I am
not saying that if I get an Arsenal offer I will definitely stay.
If there is no Arsenal deal I am open."
Lehmann arrived in the Premiership with a reputation of acting
aggressively on the pitch. But in his first season he played every
match as Arsenal went the entire 2003-04 campaign unbeaten.
He was briefly replaced by Manuel Almunia as Arsenal's first-choice
goalkeeper but a string of fine performances in last season's
Champions League cemented his place. His sending off in the Paris
final was a career low point and his snub by the Bundesliga clubs
will do little to raise his spirits.
