Arsenal legend Bob Wilson says Arsene Wenger should sign Manchester City goalkeeper Shay Given. Joe Hart has started the season as Manchester City's first-choice goalkeeper and Given has made it known he is not happy to be a long-term back-up to the England international.

Wilson acknowledged City may be reluctant to allow Given to join an immediate rival but said: "Shay will say to himself 'do I have to be number two to Joe Hart all the time?' Players do have certain powers.

"If Arsene [Wenger] and Arsenal felt it was Shay and not Mark Schwarzer, why not have a go for him?

"People talk about Joe's presence in the early games of the season and it looks like he's made his 18-yard box his stage. The great goalkeepers have a presence and belief and it's a long time since I've seen a goalkeeper as alert as Joe.

"But Shay has this as well. I used to think height-wise in the modern game Shay was an inch or two under what you needed but he's proved that wrong.

"If I had the choice, I'd love to see Shay sign. Adding Shay to Laurent Koscielny who has shown in a few games what a good buy he is, Thomas Vermaelen and Sebastien Squillaci plus the boys who are there... maybe that little misery [Jose] Mourinho who doesn't like Arsene very much and had a dig at him might have to admire Arsenal."