Arsenal's long-standing interest in the Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart will prompt a formal bid once the transfer window reopens this month, with Arsène Wenger having recognised the shortcomings of both Manuel Almunia and Lukasz Fabianski at the Emirates.

City, who are resigned to being without their No1, Shay Given, for the start of next season as a result of a shoulder injury, are expected to resist any offer, leaving the 23-year-old to agitate for a move if the transfer is to become a reality. However, whether their pursuit is successful or not, Arsenal's interest does at least offer an insight into Wenger's intention to strengthen his side in the close season after enduring a fifth successive season without a trophy.

Almunia's form has been patchy all season and, while the Spaniard is technically unavailable at present with a wrist injury, Arsenal have handed Fabianski an opportunity to prove his worth for the final few games of the season for the second year in a row. Yet the Pole has failed to convince; his reputation, already damaged by costly errors against Porto in the Champions League and Wigan last month, took a further pounding after Blackburn targeted him as a potential weak linkyesterday. The hosts duly prevailed with scrappy goals from David Dunn and Christopher Samba, with Fabianski claiming fouls.

While Wenger refused to criticise Fabianski's performance at Ewood Park, preferring instead to point a finger at the performance of the referee, Martin Atkinson, for failing to offer the goalkeeper more protection, the errors underlined the need to reinforce for next season. The France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, at Lyon, has attracted interest and the experienced Juventus No1, Gianluigi Buffon, 32, suggested today that he would be willing to move to the Premier League – "England could be the destination," he said should the Italian club be willing to release him – yet Hart appears to be Arsenal's priority.

The England hopeful, voted into the Professional Footballers' Association's Premier League team of the year last week, has enjoyed an impressive campaign on loan at Birmingham City, keeping 12 clean sheets along the way, and is staking a late claim for selection to Fabio Capello's England squad as the third-choice goalkeeper for the World Cup finals.

Should Given's dislocated shoulder leave him unavailable for up to five months, as feared, then Roberto Mancini is expected to offer the former Shrewsbury Town youngster a chance to impress in the first team next season and, potentially, prove his quality to retain his place ahead of the Republic of Ireland veteran.

That could yet scupper any move to Arsenal, forcing Wenger to turn his attentions elsewhere. The Frenchman has already secured the Bordeaux forward Marouane Chamakh on a free transfer for next season, but could yet lose William Gallas, most likely to Paris Saint-Germain, under freedom of contract.

The France defender, who has not played since suffering a recurrence of a calf injury in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final against Barcelona in March, is confident he will be fit for the World Cup.

"I will be ready for France," he said. "Had it not been possible [to recover in time], I would have pulled out. Right now, I feel good and ready for France."