Taking that final lap of honour at the Hamburg Arena last May seems likely to have been Mark Schwarzer's farewell to the Fulham fans. Sources close to the club tell me Mark's move across town to the Emirates has been a 'done deal' since early July, before Schwarzer jetted off to Australia for a break post World Cup.

Fulham's 37-year-old international keeper Mark Schwarzer will be an Arsenal player next season, unless the incoming manager can engineer a change of heart. High on Arsene Wenger's radar since the Frenchman lost faith in both Almunia and Fabianski, the player himself has already stated any move to Arsenal would be a 'dream come true' at this stage of his career. Fulham's board would not wish to stand in the player's way after such a public display of sentiment, the tipping point came once Arsenal increased their offer from £3 to £4 million.

The wily Wenger, no stranger to turning the media off the scent, played down suggestions he was unhappy with his current goalkeepers after Saturday's friendly win at Barnet. But after the news that Schwarzer would be offered a player/coach role with the Gunners, that and the renewed prospect of playing again in Europe next season makes this an offer Mark cannot refuse.

So desperate are Arsenal to secure solidity at the back, the deal flies in the face of all Wenger's so-called principals of promoting youth at the club. But for Fulham it's a deal too good to turn down. Arriving on a free from Middlesboro in 2008 the big Aussie international formed an instant understanding with his two centre backs and was instrumental in making Fulham a much harder side to break down in Hodgson's first full season as the club went from the brink of relegation to 7th in the league - the highest finish in Fulham's history.

Mark missed just one league game in two seasons. His unflappability, particularly on those tense Europa League nights, will long live in the memory of the Black and White Army. The first law of rebuilding a team is to address the spine of your side. Hodgson got it spot on with his very first acquisition in Hangeland, then persuading Schwarzer a move to Fulham was preferable to Italy once Boro inexplicably let him go for nothing in May 2008. And look what happened to them...

Roy should have the freedom of Harrod's Food Hall whenever he comes south, having made the best part of £12 million pounds for al Fayed with his snapping up of both Schwarzer and Chris Smalling for peanuts before shipping them on. At the end of the day, the deal represents great business for a man who celebrates his 38th birthday in early October.

So who's next for the most important position on the park? Once Antii Niemi's confidence was knocked by injury and self doubt the club rapidly went into a tailspin with the inadequate Jan Lastuvka, accident prone Tony Warner and veterans Crossley and Keller all coming and going in quick succession. Is David Stockdale up to the task? He was picking the ball out of the net on a pretty regular basis at Plymouth.

Some big boots to fill for sure if and when Schwarzer goes. Let us know who you'd like to see as Fulham's new number 1, along with your own personal assessment of Mark's contribution to the team.