Coach claims Arsenal watched £5m player but he has chosen another club

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Premier League Arsenal tried and failed to sign Legia Warsaw’s Radoslaw Majecki, but he is on his way to Ligue 1 giants Monaco instead.

Arsenal were interested in signing highly-rated goalkeeper Radoslaw Majecki prior to his £5 million move to Monaco, his former Legia Warsaw coach Krzyzstof Dowhan has told Przeglad Sportowy.

While the Gunners’ error-prone back line has come in for plenty of criticism once again this season, thank the lord that Arsenal have two very reliable shot-stoppers on their books.

Bernd Leno continues to thrive despite the chaos that often takes place in front of him while Emiliano Martinez produced some eye-catching performances during an often nervy Europa League group-stage.

But with Arsenal looking to the future as well as the present, Gunners scouts were a regular presence in Warsaw with 20-year-old Majecki attracting plenty of admiring glances from North London.

“I knew that he was being monitored by Western clubs. Arsenal watched him for a long time,” Dowhan admits.

“I remember how the Gunners’ goalkeeping coach came and watched our warm-ups, because you can often learn a lot more about the goalkeeper’s skills (from warm-ups) than by looking at the match itself.”

Majecki opted to move to Monaco instead in a £5 million deal, leaving Arsenal and fellow suitors Rangers disappointed, before returning to Legia on loan until the end of the season (Goal).

It remains to be seen, however, if a man who has been likened to compatriots Artur Boruc and Lukasz Fabianski has made the right decision.

Then again, with both Diego Benaglio and Danijel Subasic out of contract in the summer, there could be a place in Monaco’s first-team for Majecki sooner rather than later.