New England Revolution have confirmed that goalkeeper Matt Turner will join Arsenal in late June pending the completion of a medical.
The 27-year-old USA international moves to Emirates Stadium to provide competition to Aaron Ramsdale with Bernd Leno likely to leave the club at the end of the season.
Turner has emerged as a breakout star for the USMNT in 2021, contributing to the team’s Concacaf Gold Cup title and featuring in their World Cup qualifiers.
On the domestic front, he helped New England top the Eastern Conference – they suffered disappointment in the Conference semi-finals going out to eventually MLS Cup winners New York City FC on penalties – and he was selected as the Allstate Goalkeeper of the Year.
Foxborough, Massachusetts ➡️ London, England.
The #NERevs have agreed to a Summer transfer of @headdturnerr to join @Arsenal in June of 2022.
— New England Revolution (@NERevolution) February 11, 2022
Arsenal are understood to have paid around £5-7 million for Turner who’ll leave New England after six seasons. With the World Cup on the horizon, the keeper has recognised he’s taking a risk by giving up a guaranteed starting point for this new test.
“I always want to be able to challenge myself at the highest level I possibly can,” he’s quoted as saying.
“It’s been tough for goalkeepers to get moves. So I understand, I’m 27 and it’s something that I really want to do and really want to accomplish. At the same time, going into a World Cup year, you have to play smart.
“Going overseas and getting into a situation where maybe I’m not playing, or maybe I don’t adapt well to being in a foreign country before a World Cup might be challenging.
“There’s a lot of things I can take from [the U.S.] and apply with the Revolution for the rest of 2022, and then going into a World Cup, after a World Cup, we can revisit. But next 12 months, next four months, next whatever, if it make sense I would love to.”
By our count, Turner is the sixth American goalkeeper to join a Premier League club after Kasey Keller, Tim Howard, Brad Fridel, Brad Guzan and Zack Steffen.
At Arsenal, he follows in the footsteps of compatriots Gedion Zelalem, Danny Karbassiyoon, Frankie Simek and post-war reserve team member Doug Farquhar.
Arsenal absolutely read the room in January. Welcome Matt!
USA! USA! USA!
And Lithuanian descendant too! I’m so happy!
Why would anybody downvote this? Probably the same people singing “It’s coming home” this summer. Not everything is political. Just helps international fans feel more connected to our club.
The people singing ‘It’s coming home’ this summer were English so are you suggesting that those people downvoting are all English and how do you know that as we get fans from across the globe reading and commenting on here.
A sweeping assumption perhaps?
Btw I’m English and I gave the thumbs up so is that ok?
Wtf man, my kids were singing it! I’m pretty sure they aren’t into politics. Its just a couple of morons mate, ignore them
I upvoted 2highbury. Great news for Americans Gooners in particular. Guessing some downvotes are because of the chants usual meaning in english football, which is “your club is owned by corporate America and ours isn’t”
Having a foreigner spot occupied for a back up keeper.
Weird.
I don’t think we are under any real threat of running foul of home grown player limit at the moment. Besides, I cannot think of any English GK who would be willing to play second choice.
We haven’t had an English #2 since Stuart Taylor in 02/03.
Since then we’ve had as #2’s; Leno, Ryan and Runarsson for 5 months each, Martinez, Cech (dropped for Leno), Ospina, Szczeny (dropped), Fabianski, Almunia, and Stack in the Invincible season.
Manonne, Poom, and Lehamnn returned for a cup of coffee, but really as #3’s.
01/02 was memorable as THREE keepers played at least 10 games so each got a winners medal – Seaman, Wright, Taylor (all English, wahey!).
We also have an extraordinary habit of what we do in our back-up keeper’s final match for us. So, for Matt Turner, the bad news is that he’ll be gone a year from May; the good news is he’ll have won the FA Cup.
Is he also a 30 goal a year striker, by any chance?
Unfortunately not – but can save penalties against former Man U players….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4zpqLVWahc
Well, he has potential. Closest to the goal , but we may not like it as well as the opposition do.
He’s going to be our first choice keeper.
Ramsdale’s moving up front to play striker.
What about Marcus Hahnemann? He played for Reading and Everton I think. Can’t remember the exact spelling of the name but definitely should be on the list
Seems like a sensible low-risk piece of business.
We could actually make a profit on the GK department this year as Leno should be sold for at least 10m and Runarsson will also leave.
Runarsson is going absolutely nowhere, we tripled his salary when he joined … a horrific bit of business that’s kind of gone under the radar
From £50 a week to £150 is not too big a deal
Haha if only! He went from 15kpw to 40k pw… for a 3rd choice keeper that’s way too much, and def more than he will be getting offered anywhere else.
Don’t understand the downvotes. Horrible piece of business, he is probably at his level now in Belgium but teams at that level will never pay him 40k/w. So it’s either pay him to leave or loan him repeatedly while subsidizing his wages
Never try and understand the downvotes on Arseblog – people are strange… Clearly a shocking bit of business – £35k a week overspend on his wages (not to mention that any wages are a waste of money as he’s clearly not good enough to play for us) is £5.5m over 3 years. I guess the people downvoting think it’s fine to just chuck away £5.5m…
In the grand scheme of things it’s small, but thank god we’ve improved since then with our business
Welcome to Arsenal, wishing you the best… I read a lot about you , for right indications it’s a good move and his a good goalkeeper. So I think he fits the right profile to be a 2nd keeper
Auf Wiedersehen then Leno.
Hopefully he will be a good understudy to Ramsdale..
You forgot Marcus Hahnemann. Played for Reading and Wolves
A shame to be losing Leno, but this guy seems ok-ish and won’t be constantly whinging about playing second fiddle to Ramsdale.
We have much bigger fish to fry in the summer – assuming we actually go fishing – so a good bit of squad business to get out of the way.
You’re missing one more American keeper in the EPL. Marcus Hahnemann
Do Americans buy GK shirts?
There’s a lot of Americans who support Everton because of Tim Howard.
Fulham has a decent fan base in the US as well
Last time I was in London (sadly this was almost ten years ago), I bought the grey GK jersey with the zebra-looking stripes going down the sleeves from the Armoury as my big souvenir for the trip. It remains in my closet even though, for the love of food, it no longer fits. It’s kind of like my aspirational outfit now.
So… yes. Americans buy GK jerseys.
Keep swinging buddy you’ll get back into that jersey yet.
Marcus Hahnemann at Reading is the other American one you forgot.
Juergen Sommer and Marcus Hahnemann we’re also American keepers.
breaking news…..
Kurt Zion’s has pulled out of the West Ham team during the warm up. The reasons are not clear but it could be because of Cat flu.!!!!
Zouma even!!
Wonder how many guys can’t wait to double foot that utter cunt.
I hope someone turns him at right angles all over the place.
Sounds like Souness is at the front of the queue, while sitting beside a man that spits on 14 year old girls
Not to mention Souness himself shithousery was his game.
Here’s hoping that he gets to play enough matches and ‘Turns’ heads with his performance!