Arsenal are closing in on another signing according to the latest in the German press.
With a move for Lucas Torreira set to be completed, the Gunners are also on the lookout for a new shot-stopper and top of their list appears to be the Bayer Leverkusen number 1, Bernd Leno. Napoli and Liverpool are also said to be interested in the German keeper, but according to SportBILD in Germany on Wednesday (13 June), Arsenal have won the race for Leno and an announcement could follow shortly.
Leno is a 26-year-old goalkeeper who will cost Arsenal around £22million. David Ospina is set to leave the club, with Tigres in Mexico thought to be in advanced talks with the Colombian. Should Leno arrive, he will compete with Petr Cech for a starting spot.
Leno is a keeper who showed a lot of promise as a youngster, but one who has struggled to iron out the mistakes in his game since maturing. Emery and co. must feel there is still potential to be unearthed in Leno, who is a somewhat lively goalkeeper – he could be compared to Woijech Szczesny.
Perhaps the German’s more aggressive style of play is what attracts Arsenal to him, as Cech has become slower as he has aged.
Leno is a huge 10 years younger than Cech, so he does have time to improve and fulfil his potential, but it is hard to see the Gunners spending more than £20million on a backup goalkeeper.
Here’s some Leno saves to get you in the mood…
Arsenal are expected to finalise deals for Sokratis and Lucas Torreira in the coming weeks. As well as a goalkeeper, the Gunners are also looking at potentially signing a new winger.