Wenger pleased to net Lehmann

Arsene Wenger believes the arrival of Jens Lehmann will help make Arsenal “competitive” again as they seek to reclaim their Barclaycard Premiership crown.

Wenger has been searching for a replacement for England number one David Seaman following his departure to Manchester City.

And, after being linked with a long list of keepers, Wenger opted for German international Lehmann because of the 33-year-old’s experience of top European football and “big pressure” matches.

Wenger revealed he had clinched the deal for the Borussia Dortmund stopper after his side’s 2-0 pre-season friendly win over Austria Vienna last night, secured by first-half goals from Dennis Bergkamp and Francis Jeffers.

Lehmann passed a medical to clinch a move to Highbury and Wenger told Arsenal’s website, www.Arsenal.com: “Jens Lehmann is a great signing for Arsenal Football Club.

“He is a very experienced goalkeeper who has proved his quality playing in the Bundesliga, in the Champions League and also for his country.

“Jens will greatly improve the strength of our squad and I am very happy that we have signed a player of his ability.

“I am pleased because he is used to playing under big pressure, he is intelligent and we got him at the right price.

“If you look at the side we had out against Austria Vienna, add the French players who are not back yet and then Lehmann, we are competitive again.”

Lehmann is now set to join up with the rest of the squad in Austria tomorrow.

“I am delighted to be joining Arsenal,” he said.

“They are one of Europe’s great clubs and they have many fantastic players.

“Hopefully I will impress the club and its supporters and I’m also very much looking forward to playing in the English Premier League.”

Lehmann, who won the German league title with Dortmund in 2002, was also a member of the Germany World Cup squads in 1998 and 2002, in addition to their Euro 2000 squad.

He made a combined total of nearly 400 appearances for FC Schalke 04 and Borussia Dortmund.

During his time with these clubs, he made over 50 appearances in European competitions, winning the UEFA Cup with Schalke in 1997 and finishing a runner-up in the same competition with Dortmund in 2002.

Lehmann has some experience of Highbury, as he played against Arsenal in last season’s Champions League, appearing in both matches in the first group stage of the competition.

The Gunners had been linked with moves for Turkey international Rustu Recber, who opted for Barcelona, Leeds’ Paul Robinson and Valencia’s Santiago Canizares.