EXCLUSIVE: Arsene Wnger is weighing up a £5million part-exchange transfer to recruit England's goalkeeping understudy Richard Wright.

The Ipswich Town man, part of Kevin Keegan's Euro 2000 squad, has impressed Arsenal scouts as the outstanding candidate to ease the burden on David Seaman, who will be 37 in September.

Wright, who was officially transfer-listed by newly-promoted Town last week, will be groomed to succeed Seaman in the Arsenal team over the coming Premiership campaign.

And manager Wenger, who is keen to bolster his club's goalkeeping resources, is prepared to unload Austrian import Alex Manninger to the East Anglian club as a key part of the negotiations.

Manninger, who in his early days in England earned rave reviews as Seaman's stand-in, has admitted to friends that he is now desperate for regular first-team football. There are doubts at Arsenal, though, that he is the man to succeed Seaman.

Wright, now 22 and a Bosman free agent next summer, might well have accelerated Wenger's long-term interest with his decision to reject a new long-term contract at Portman Road. His ambition is to play for one of the major, trophy-winning clubs, fully aware such a move would reinforce his international career.

Ipswich boss George Burley remains realistic about likely developments as Arsenal press ahead with their expensive recruitment plans for another championship push in pursuit of Manchester United.

Questions have already been privately raised inside Highbury about Manninger's future.

He has been warned by the Austrian FA that unless he secures a permanent first-team role his place in the looming World Cup qualifiers is in jeopardy. Ipswich appear to offer the perfect solution to his professional dilemma.