Arsenal are set to sign New England Revolution and United States goalkeeper Matt Turner after agreeing a deal to bring the 27-year-old to north London in the summer.
The arrangement will see Turner begin the 2022 MLS season with New England, before making the switch across the Atlantic in time for the 2022/23 Premier League campaign.
Turner is currently on international duty with the United States for World Cup qualifiers and national team coach Gregg Berhalter confirmed the Arsenal transfer is going ahead.
“He’s headed to Arsenal. It’s just an amazing story and it’s down to him, his work ethic, his belief in himself and his never give up attitude,” Berhalter said.
The Athletic quotes a starting fee of just under $7m (£5.2m), with New England to retain a sell-on percentage of a future transfer as part of the deal.
The arrival of Turner ahead of next season could also prompt Arsenal to let Bernd Leno leave the club. The German international has lost his starting place to Aaron Ramsdale in recent months and understandably hasn’t been satisfied with his new role as a back-up.
As a recent guest on 90min’s Football Americana podcast, Turner revealed that he looks up to Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson in terms of his playing style and technical ability.
“I want what Ederson has,” Turner explained.
“It’s not just what he can do technically, it’s the confidence he has when he does it. It’s that, excuse my language, ‘F you’ attitude he has as a goalkeeper. I think the way that he hurts teams, the way he advances the ball, and teams don’t even press him anymore.”
“That’s where I want to go,” he added. “I want to get to a point where a team knows that if they’re running through when the ball’s coming to my feet, they’re just wasting their energy. That’s the way people view Ederson, in my opinion. That’s what I want.”
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