Lehmann could stay at Arsenal

Jens Lehmann has insisted he will stay at Arsenal unless he gets the deal he wants at Borussia Dortmund.

The 38-year-old goalkeeper, whose Gunners contract expires at the end of the season, is only interested in a short-term agreement with Dortmund because he wants to be a free agent in the summer.

Lehmann has slipped behind Manuel Almunia in the pecking order at the Emirates Stadium and has been strongly tipped for a return to Dortmund, with whom he won the Bundesliga in 2002 before moving to north London a year later.

With Euro 2008 on the horizon, Lehmann is desperate for first-team football to hold on to the number one jersey in Germany’s national team for what is likely to be his swansong tournament.

Lehmann is also thought to be reluctant to uproot his family from their London home, and is seeking a compromise that will cause minimal disruption.

He admitted yesterday he is unwilling to commit to Dortmund beyond the end of the season in an effort to allow himself “complete freedom” over his future plans.

“If I can get my private matters satisfactorily resolved then I could come, otherwise I won’t,” Lehmann told kicker magazine.

“If I come to Dortmund then it would only be for six months. I want to have complete freedom to decide what I do next in the summer.”

Meanwhile, Dortmund have denied reports that a deal has already been struck with Lehmann.

The Westphalian club put out a press release confirming “there has not yet been any definite agreement from Jens Lehmann on a transfer from Arsenal to Borussia Dortmund”.

However, the statement added Dortmund director of sport Michael Zorc “remains in constant contact” with Lehmann, who “still has a few personal matters to resolve”.