Arsene Wenger’s had mixed fortunes with goalkeepers at Arsenal… Will Petr Cech be his next David Seaman success story or a flop like Rami Shaaban?

Fifteen goalkeepers have played under Arsene Wenger so far at Arsenal
David Seaman and Jens Lehmann were undoubtedly the most successful
But a host of other men between the sticks haven’t fared quite so well

Published:
13:14 GMT, 23 June 2015

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Updated:
13:31 GMT, 23 June 2015

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Petr Cech will become the 16th man to take the gloves at Arsenal since Arsene Wenger arrived in 1996 when he makes what appears to be an inevitable move from Chelsea.

It is fair to say some have done it with more distinction than others. For every David Seaman and Jens Lehmann, for example, there is a Rami Shaaban and a Vince Bartram.

Here, Sportsmail takes a look at those to have gone between the sticks for the Gunners with varying levels of success.

Petr Cech will become the 15th goalkeeper to arrive at Arsenal during manager Arsene Wenger’s reign

John Lukic (1996-2001)

Came back to the club for a second spell after being dislodged at Leeds by Nigel Martyn. The fringed stopper with Serbian roots was back-up to the irreplaceable David Seaman although he did manage 15 more appearances including a Champions League trip to Lazio in 2000 at the age of 39.

One of only four players to have played in four decades, Lukic is now an after-dinner speaker and coach.

John Lukic was back-up to irreplaceable David Seaman but became one of only four to play in four decades

David Seaman (1990-2003)

Wenger inherited a rock solid back four when he arrived at Highbury and the man behind them was not bad, either. Seaman, a flash with a tash, was the bedrock of two Premier League and three FA Cup victories under the Frenchman.

His status as a club legend had been secured long before he departed for Manchester City in 2003. He finished fourth on 2006’s Dancing on Ice and later married skating partner Frankie Poultney.

David Seaman was the bedrock behind the solid back four Wenger inherited on his arrival in 1996

Vince Bartram (1994-98)

Another to keep the bench warm while Seaman did his thing. George Graham paid Bournemouth £400,000 to bring the Brummie to Highbury but would make just 11 Premier League appearances for the club before joining Gillingham.

Quickly settled to life in Kent and won promotion at the second attempt in 2000-01 a year after THAT play-off final defeat to Manchester City. Retired in 2004 after a collision with fellow keeper Tony Warner, who had come up for a corner. Now coaching at Southampton.

Vince Bartram played 11 times in the Premier League before joining Gillingham – now a Southampton coach

Stuart Taylor (1997-2005)

The Romford boy rose through the ranks in Wenger’s early years and showed plenty of promise but became another who failed to make the step up. Played for England Under 21s and had loan spells at Bristol Rovers, Crystal Palace, Peterborough and Leicester City before joining Aston Villa in 2005. His 10 appearances in the 2001-02 season were enough to win him a Premier League medal.

Famously made just 24 league games in 10 years and is currently at Leeds United, for whom he played five times last year.

Stuart Taylor played for England Under 21s and had a series of loan spells before joining Aston Villa in 2005

Alex Manninger (1997-2002)

The blonde Austrian’s role in a successful period for the Gunners can often be overlooked. It should not be. In his first year, coming in for the injured Seaman, Manninger kept six clean sheets in a row including a stunning performance in an epic 1-0 win at Old Trafford (think Marc Overmars’ winner).

Such was his contribution to the campaign that Wenger gave him a winners’ medal, despite the fact he had not made enough appearances to qualify for one. Left in 2002 and would go on to play for no less than 11 clubs before retiring in 2012.

Austrian Alex Manninger played an often under-rated role at Arsenal during a successful period for the club

Richard Wright (2001-02)

It is easy to poke fun at Manchester City’s perennial English benchwarmer but when Arsenal paid a reported £6m to prise him away from Ipswich great things were expected – especially after he saved a penalty on his home debut against Panathinaikos.

He had already made 300 appearances before he got to Arsenal at the age of 23 but after 18 starts in 12 months moved to Everton in search of first-team football. Played for five more clubs before joining City in 2012.

Richard Wright left for Everton in search of first team football before famously warming Man City’s bench

Rami Shaaban (2002-2004)

Arsenal’s website claims that the man who came from Sweden with high hopes of becoming Seaman’s successor could have seen his Gunners career take off had it not been for a broken leg on Christmas Eve in 2002.

The son of an Egyptian father and a Finnish mother he was later sent on loan to West Ham United, where he failed to make an appearance, and had a short stint at Brighton and Hove Albion before returning to Sweden. According to Aftonbladet, he often goes for coffee with former Gunners teammate Freddie Ljungberg.

Swede Rami Shaaban suffered a broken leg in 2002 and was loan to West Ham but never played for them

Jens Lehmann (2003-08)

Finally, a replacement for Seaman. The flamboyant German arrived from Borussia Dortmund and would play every match in The Invincibles’ stunning Premier League campaign.

A ferocious competitor on the pitch and on the training ground he went on to lift the FA Cup in 2005 when his save from Paul Scholes was enough to see off Manchester United in a penalty shoot out.

Returned to Germany in 2008 but came back in 2011 when a goalkeeping crisis struck. Donned the gloves once more for a Premier League win at Blackpool. Has also starred in a German/South African movie.

Jens Lehmann played every match in The Invincibles’ stunning Premier League campaign – enough said

Manuel Almunia (2004-12)

A Spaniard who spent no less than eight years with the club after becoming the first signing after The Invincibles season, he had a famously hostile relationship with Lehmann when he took the German’s place and the pair ended up not speaking.

Almunia failed to nail down his own spot and there were plenty of bad memories to go with the good ones – at one point was likened by a national newspaper to bungling waiter Manuel from Fawlty Towers following a 2-2 draw with Manchester United at the Emirates. Made 175 appearances before a loan spell at West Ham was followed by a permanent switch to Watford. Retired with a heart problem in 2014.

Manuel Almunia had a famously hostile relationship with Lehmann and plenty of good and bad memories

Mark Poom (2006-07)

Brought in as short-term cover for Lehmann and Almunia in 2005, he was signed on a permanent deal in January 2006. A member of Arsenal’s 25-man European squad, the Estonian won a Champions League runners-up medal without even making an appearance on the bench.

Poom’s debut for the club came in the League Cup against Everton as a halftime injury replacement for Almunia, and his only Premier League match came in a goalless draw against his former club Portsmouth on the last day of the 2006–07 season.

Estonian Mark Poom won a Champions League runners-up medal without even appearing on the bench

Vito Mannone (2006-13)

Signed as a highly-rated 18-year-old from Atalanta and got his first taste of English football in a loan spell at Barnsley. Slowly rose up the ladder but was never more than third choice. Got his first team chance in 2012/13 where he made 13 appearances. The following July, however, was sold to Sunderland for £1.5m. Despite becoming a cult figure on Wearside, has since been dislodged by Costel Pantilimon and made just 13 starts last season.

Now at Sunderland, Vito Mannone came to Arsenal as a highly-fancied 18-year-old but was never first choice

Lukasz Fabianski (2007-14)

One of two Poles in the goal cost more than £2m from Legia Warsaw in 2007 but would make just 64 starts in seven years and was harshly nicknamed ‘Flapianski’ by some. Turned down a new contact after falling below compatriot Wojciech Szczesny in the pecking order.

A bold move, he joined Swansea City last season and in a sterling first season in South Wales was rewarded with 39 appearances. Took the gloves for his national team in their 4-0 win over Georgia in June.

Lukasz Fabianski was harshly nicknamed ‘Flapianski’ by some before boldly joining Swansea with success

Wojciech Szczesny (2009-)

Won the battle with Fabianski after coming of age during a loan spell at Brentford. Appeared to have secured the No 1 jersey in 2013-14 when he kept a Premier League best 16 clean sheets and shared the Golden Glove award with Chelsea’s Petr Cech.

However, a nightmare 2014-15 sunk to new lows when he was caught smoking in the showers after a 2-0 defeat at Southampton in which he was responsible for both goals. He was fined £40,000 but the damage went beyond that and he would go on to make just five more appearances.

Wojciech Szczesny has fallen from grace since sharing the Golden Glove award with Petr Cech

David Ospina (2014-)

Responsible for possibly the most irritating chant in Premier League football history (along with ‘by far the greatest team’) the Colombian signed a four-year deal at the start of 2014 following a £3m move from Nice.

He came into the fore after Szczesny’s fag-induced meltdown and ended up making 23 appearances in his debut season. Has said he will make way for Cech, which will come as music to the ears of fans of Arsenal’s Premier League opponents.

David Ospina has said he will make way for Cech, which will come as music to the ears of opponents’ fans

Damian Emiliano Martinez (2012-)

The Argentine, signed as a teenager, has had three loan spells at Oxford United, Sheffield Wednesday and Rotherham United.

On his first start for the Millers he conceded two injury-time goals in a 3-2 home defeat to Wednesday but would play a key role as Steve Evans’ side beat the drop from the Championship.

His second match in Arsenal colours was the famous 7-5 win at Reading but he kept three clean sheets in his six starts in 2014-15.