Arsenal have today confirmed the signing of goalkeeper Matt Turner, from New England Revolution.
Speaking to Arsenal.com following the announcement, Mikel Arteta said:
“Matt is an experienced goalkeeper who will bring high quality to our squad."
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"He has shown with his performances in recent years in both the MLS and at international level with the United States that he is a goalkeeper who will give us added strength going into next season. We welcome Matt and his family to the club and we look forward to working together in the years to come.”
Technical Director Edu continued:
“We are delighted that Matt is joining us."
"Matt is a goalkeeper with established qualities and experience, who will be a great addition to our squad. We identified Matt some time ago and worked hard to ensure that his transfer was complete so he could join us in time for our pre-season in July."
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"We now look forward to Matt joining us, settling into his new home and working ahead of next season."
Turner signed for New England Revolution in 2016 and made 102 appearances for the club.
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He was voted MLS Goalkeeper of the Year in 2021 and has seemingly solidified himself as the USA National team's number one.
The American is expected to compete with Aaron Ramsdale for the starting spot at Arsenal but is likely to play the majority of his minutes as a back-up.
With the return of the Europa League at Arsenal and the likely departure of Bernd Leno, Arsenal will need a quality second keeper, and Turner could be the man for the job.
Fans will be pleased to learn that the goalkeeper is a fan of the Gunners himself.
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Speaking to the Athletic, Turner spoke of watching Arsenal games at early hours in the states.
This will undoubtedly improve his pedigree with his new fans, before he's even played a game.
There is something the 27-year-old needs to improve on if he wants to thrive at Arsenal. His ball-playing.
Ramsdale is praised for his confidence and ability on the ball and Turner himself admits it's something he needs to work on.
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Working with Mikel Arteta and goalkeeping coach Inaki Cana, this is something that will surely improve.
The signing of Turner is something that has been known about for some time.
The deal was first reported in January of this year but was not announced by Arsenal until now, despite multiple other official accounts mentioning the move.
Whilst Arsenal's latest signing this summer isn't the most exciting for fans, it is an important one.
With the announcement of their new goalkeeper, the North London club will now look to confirm Gabriel Jesus before pushing forward with deals for Lisandro Martinez and Raphinha later this week.
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: Arsenal, Mikel Arteta, Transfers