Let’s face it, as much as the transfer links doing the rounds are exciting, it’s not quite the same as an actual player being announced, is it? Well thankfully, Arsenal have pretty much confirmed a new signing before the season has even finished.
The January transfer window turned out to be a very frustrating and underwhelming one for Arsenal fans, with not a single signing coming through the door.
The club did agree summer deals for MLS duo Matt Turner and Austin Trusty, who are set to arrive in time for pre-season.
Although Turner himself along with his current club New England Revolution confirmed he would be joining the Gunners this summer, Arsenal have remained tight-lipped on any potential deal until now.
London understands that the club will look to officially confirm the deal in June when Turner flies over to complete a medical, but they might as well just announce it now.
That’s because they have unintentionally confirmed Turner will be an Arsenal player after the goalkeeper posted an Instagram story from his wedding.
CHECK THIS OUT
The Photo shows a bouquet of red and white flowers along with a card that came with it which reads: ‘Congratulations on your wedding day! Best wishes, From everyone at Arsenal FC.‘.
This is as obvious as it gets, Arsenal have a record of attempting to hide the worst-kept secrets and it appears not a lot has changed! The 27-year-old USMNT shot-stopper is expected to replace Bernd Leno, who now finds himself as second choice behind Aaron Ramsdale.
London understands Leno, who joined for £19.2m in 2018, is being targeted by teams in the Bundesliga ahead of a likely departure this summer, with the player previously revealing the initial frustrations of being dropped.
“It was a setback and a bitter moment,” he told Spox, via Goal.
“But that’s sport, you have to accept that. It wasn’t easy, but I couldn’t feel sorry for myself. It was clearly communicated to me that it had nothing to do with my performance and was therefore difficult to accept at first.”
“I had always played well in the years before and was hardly ever injured. That hits you hard. But as I said, there’s no reason to feel sorry for yourself. You have to look ahead and keep working on yourself. That’s what I did.”
As much as I feel for Leno, it must be said that Ramsdale has been incredible for us this season.
Considering the fee that was paid for him along with other profiles that were brought in last summer, it was clear that Arteta was going to put youth at the forefront of his plans.
Ensuring Leno remained at the club was crucial for both Ramsdale’s development and squad depth, but with Turner’s incoming arrival, the German international is best to find a new club where he can showcase his qualities on a regular basis.
The 30-year-old will only have one year remaining on his contract in June, so It’s unlikely the club will receive much for him.
Despite this, Leno remains an established goalkeeper who still has a lot to offer, so we should definitely try to get between £10m – £15m at least.