Iker Casillas Transfer to Arsenal, PSG News: Why a Move Makes Sense For Spanish Keeper

Throughout the last decade, Iker Casillas has been the foundation on which Real Madrid has been built. The goalie is not only one of the club's most important players, but he's transformed into an icon of sorts. However, his days at the Santiago Bernabeau could be coming to an end with transfer rumors increasing in recent days.

On Monday evening, a number of reports noted that Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain had upped the ante in their pursuit of the superstar. Why? For the second straight Spanish League match, Casillas was left on the bench while Diego Lopez got the start in between the pipes. Many questioned Casillas' standing with the team after he was left out of the opener against Real Betis last week, but the bench start against Granada seemed to solidify what many thought: Casillas is no longer the top choice for Real Madrid.

Of course, teams like Arsenal and PSG would likely have no problem picking up the Spaniard; Casillas is only one year removed from an astonishing clean sheet streak for the Spanish national team. In fact, his performance during the early months of 2012 had many wondering whether he might be a finalist for the Ballon d'Or. Instead, he wound up placing an honorable sixth in the voting with 3.18 percent of the votes.

Arsenal has been the team most identified with Casillas for a number of reasons. The team is looking to make a splash before the transfer window closes and also needs to secure its goaltending situation. Current incumbent Wojciech Szczesny is still young and tends to have mental lapses. However, the addition of Casillas could be a win-win for the youngster. He might not get to play, but he gets to learn from arguably the greatest goalie of all time. For Casillas, his arrival at Arsenal will give him playing time, something that seems unlikely at Madrid. With the World Cup 2014 coming up, it is unlikely that Casillas wants to sit on the bench all season and risk a chance at playing in Brazil.