Bernd Leno has swapped Arsenal for Fulham as the Gunners are forced to take another financial hit.
The goalkeeper has fallen out of favour at the Emirates following the arrival of Aaron Ramsdale and was always destined to move on, with the Cottagers winning the race for his signature. The Premier League new boys have paid £8m for the German - but only £3m of it is up front.
Leno cost Arsenal £19m back in 2018 when they acquired him from Bayer Leverkusen. Meaning they have currently taken a £16m hit on him, which is nothing new when it comes to players signed in the 2018 summer transfer window, as the Gunners continue to count the cost of recruitment failures.
Lucas Torreira was another man signed in that period, which followed Unai Emery's arrival as Arsenal boss. The midfielder was initially a hit after his £26m move from Sampdoria. However he now looks set to leave permanently after several loan spells away. Galatasaray, it seems, are close to completing a deal for around £6m - which is another massive hit for the club.
Matteo Guendouzi was also added in that window for £8m and was unable to fulfil his potential before he fell out of favour with Mikel Arteta. Sokratis Papastathopoulos joined from Borussia Dortmund for £14m - but later had his contract terminated by mutual consent.
Leno is now the latest departure having made 125 appearances and kept 37 clean sheets during his time in north London. He was vocal about his frustration last term after he was initially dropped. Ramsdale has since established himself as the club's No 1.
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The German did pen a message to his former side, thanking the fans for their support. He said on social media: "Hey @Arsenal fans, it’s time to move on for me. It’s been a pleasure to be part of this great football club for 4 amazing years. Thank you very much for your support. Also a big thank you to my team mates and the staff behind the team. I‘m looking forward to see you soon!"
Leno also underlined his excitement at being part of a Fulham side aiming to consolidate their Premier League status. He told FFCtv : “It feels amazing to finally be here. I can’t wait to join the team, to train and play with the team. I’m relieved that everything is done. I’m just happy to be here. It took a little bit of time, but in the end we made it and that’s the most important thing.”
