LONDON: Colombia goalkeeper David Ospina, who had a fine World Cup to help his country reach the quarter-finals for the first time, is joining Arsenal on a long-term contract for an undisclosed fee, the Premier League club said on Sunday.

The 25-year-old, who has 49 caps, is moving from French Ligue 1 club Nice, for whom he made 189 league appearances during his six years in France.

“David Ospina is an excellent goalkeeper, with good experience and a proven record of performing with Nice and Colombia,” Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger told the club’s website. “He will add strength to our squad and we are very pleased that he will be joining us.”

Ospina is expected to make his first appearance for Arsenal in the pre-season Emirates Cup tournament involving the English side, AS Monaco, Valencia and Benfica which takes place at the Emirates Stadium in north London next weekend.

Ospina will be competing for a place with Wojciech Szczesny after Lukasz Fabianski left Arsenal for Swansea City earlier in the summer transfer window.

Financial details of Ospina’s move were not disclosed but French reports this week said Arsenal would pay about four million euros ($5.4 million).

Ospina joined Nice in 2008 from Colombian side Atletico Nacional, for whom he made his professional debut at the age of only 17.

He made his international debut in 2007 and was handed his first start in a 2010 World Cup qualifying match against Bolivia.

Published in Dawn, July 28th, 2014