Arsenal transfer news: USMNT’s Matt Turner, New England agree on move
Could the United States men’s national team’s Nos. 1 and 2 goalkeepers be Premier League understudies by the 2022 World Cup?
Zack Steffen is already backing up Ederson at Manchester CIty, and now New England Revolution star Matt Turner looks to be leaving Boston for London.
U.S. soccer insider Taylor Twellman previously said that Arsenal “put in a strong bid” for Turner, 27, whose star has risen in a dramatic way over the last two seasons in Major League Soccer, and now claims that Turner will move to North London in the summer transfer window.
[ MORE: How to watch Premier League in USA ]
Turner has 13 caps and has 23 clean sheets in 106 senior appearances for the Revs. He was MLS Goalkeeper of the Year in 2021, also winning Golden Glove and Best XI status for the USMNT at the Gold Cup.
Aaron Ramsdale is currently Arsenal’s No. 1 after taking the job from Bernd Leno, who is expected to skip town. Ramsdale has the third-best save percentage in the Premier League — Ederson is fifth, if you’re a USMNT fan wondering aloud — and is not even 24 years old.
Should USMNT fans be worried?
Turner would benefit from a new level of training and cup competitions, and perhaps there’s a view to a loan in the Championship. And being second choice at Arsenal seemingly didn’t kill the careers of Emiliano Martinez or Lukasz Fabianski.
While it’s obviously ideal for a national team goalkeeper to be his club’s unquestioned No.1, it didn’t stop Robin Olsen from helping Sweden get out of a EURO 2020 group with Spain, Poland, and Slovakia, and it seemingly didn’t hurt Darren Randolph when he led the Republic of Ireland to EURO 2016 despite being seldom-used at West Ham.
There are other, less clear-cut examples but suffice it to say nations with incredible goalkeeping depth like Belgium and Italy are not the norm. There isn’t the luxury of “best club situation” here and league quality does matter. If not, no one would be backing Turner to consider Arsenal. No Jamaican fans would question why Andre Blake’s not moved abroad.
Goalkeeping may just be a different animal.
Latest transfer news
Amad Diallo leaves Manchester United for Rangers loan USWNT stars Megan Rapinoe, Rose Lavelle re-sign with OL Reign List of Premier League transfers in January
Arsenal transfer news: USMNT’s Matt Turner, New England agree on move originally appeared on NBCSports.com