Arseweb may be guilty of inventing a tenuous transfer link here, but bear with us: Icelandic international goalkeeper Arni Gautur Arason is on the move from Norway's top club Rosenborg. He was last linked with a move to Highbury almost two years ago... but fits the bill for what Arsenal are looking for this summer.

After an unsuccessful trial with Arsenal in 1997, the 28-year-old has established himself as Iceland's first choice goalkeeper, winning 29 caps and captaining them on occasion. His contract with Rosenborg runs out on January 1, and in his five and a half years with the club he's won five league championships and played five seasons in the Champions League. After refusing to sign a new contract, he's been replaced in the first team by the young Norway international Espen Johnsen.

Arason's availabilty has alerted Hearts, who wanted to bring him over to Scottish football. However, they can't afford the transfer fee and can't wait to January to get a new keeper in their squad. Main competitors for Arason's signature were Hamburg SV of the Bundesliga and Sturm Graz of Austria, according to internet fanzine Rosenborg Web.

Arsenal have scouts present on most of Rosenborg's home games in Trondheim, and should be well aware of Arason's qualities and faults. To emphasise again: no signing is expected. However, an interesting point is that he was last linked to Arsenal at the same time as... Oscar Córdoba!