Arsenal are in talks with New England Revolution over buying the goalkeeper Matt Turner. If the 27-year-old USA international joins it would clear the way for Bernd Leno to leave.
Personal terms for Turner have been discussed and will not present a stumbling block, so the issue is whether the clubs can agree a fee. Turner has played his whole career in the US and started 13 of his country’s 22 matches last year, with Manchester City’s Zack Steffen his biggest rival for the No 1 spot.
Turner won the best goalkeeper award at the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup after playing in all six US matches and keeping five clean sheets to help the team secure the title.
He is regarded by Arsenal as cover for Aaron Ramsdale, who has impressed since joining from Sheffield United last summer. Ramsdale’s form has restricted Leno to four cup appearances since late August, when he started Arsenal’s 5-0 Premier League defeat at Manchester City.
Arsenal’s Thomas Partey has admitted he ought to have been cleverer than to be sent off for two yellow cards in Thursday’s Carabao Cup semi-final defeat by Liverpool. “I should be more intelligent not to get in a challenge already booked but this is my personality I like to fight for every ball,” the midfielder wrote on his Instagram stories.