The deal is done. As we told you yesterday, Bernd Leno was set to join Arsenal on Tuesday and this evening both clubs have confirmed the deal.
Leno, 26, joins for a fee of around £20million and has signed a long-term contract, thought to be 5 years long. It is thought that David Ospina will leave the club this summer and leave Leno to compete with Petr Cech for the number one spot at the club.
Enjoy the first pictures of Leno in an Arsenal shirt below…
Happy and proud to play for this great club @Arsenal in the future! I’ll do my best and I‘m looking forward to the start of the new season as a Gunner. ??
— Bernd Leno (@Bernd_Leno) June 19, 2018
He’s a keeper ?#HeyLeno pic.twitter.com/iGDIhOt5Ah
— Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) June 19, 2018
Welcome to Arsenal, @Bernd_Leno – we’re delighted to have you here ?#HeyLeno pic.twitter.com/m4yT22I58V
— Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) June 19, 2018
Leno is highly rated by Emery and Mislintat according to reports and his enthusiasm and speed of reflexes are thought to be what interests the new head coach. With a new energetic high press set to be implemented into the Arsenal side, the Gunners need a keeper that will be quick off his line and one with a bit more inventive distribution.
Arsenal are also 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. Personally, the likes of Cristian Pavon and Hirving Lozano have caught my eye at the World Cup, but Gelson Martins is another possibility, especially with the news that he has reportedly cancelled his contract.
We’ll add more photos to this article as they are published.