Matt Turner’s move to Arsenal has been confirmed, 134 days since New England Revolution revealed terms had been agreed.
After playing his final MLS match last week, the US international jetted to London to undertake a long-awaited medical and to have a few unveiling snaps taken. It’s believed the deal is worth around £7 million.
Turner arrives as a backup to Aaron Ramsdale with Bernd Leno and Alex Runarsson expected to leave the club this summer.
✈️ From New Jersey to north London…
Welcome home, Matty Turner ❤️
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) June 27, 2022
He’s already spoken extensively about his expectations for the future and where he feels he needs to improve his game to reach the level required by Mikel Arteta.
At 28 years old, the American will be one of the oldest players in the Gunners’ dressing room. That said, having come to football quite late, he’s only played 138 games at senior level only eight more than Bukayo Saka.
Reflecting on his third signing of the summer, Mikel Arteta said: “Matt is an experienced goalkeeper who will bring high quality to our squad. He has shown with his performances in recent years in both the MLS and at international level with the United States that he is a goalkeeper who will give us added strength going into next season. We welcome Matt and his family to the club and we look forward to working together in the years to come.”
Yup
Uh huh
Darn tootin’.
Vladamir Pootin
Not the confirmation I was refreshing for …
Very interested to see if Turner becomes a modern day cup goalie this season or if he’s kept a little out of the firing line.
Welcome to Arsenal Matt! Imagine being an Arsenal fan and then signing for the club. This guy is living all of our dreams.
Best of luck fella!
I never really believe that unless there is a photo of them wearing an Arsenal shirt when they were a kid like Robin van Persie or Harry Kane.
So you think he’s just here for the abortions as well?
@jonny Fucking hell! 😂
You never really know how a joke is going to land.
I estimated about 60% 👍 and 40% 👎 on that one and I think I’m about right.
Phew. Could’ve gone horribly wrong. And blogs would’ve had to tell me off again.
As an American, I confirm, it was a good joke. Dark funny, but funny.
Him, and Kendrick Lamar. Whoever the hell he is!
Just the first non-Jazz or classical artist to win the Pulitzer prize for music. No big deal!
The Pulitzer Prize couldn’t stop him from sounding sh*te at Glastonbury!
You said it! No. Big. Deal.
He was a team captain on Shooting Stars.
No, he’s the lead singer of Kajagoogoo!
Obviously he’s Thomas Lemar’s cousin/agent and who we’re still pursuing and imminently signing..
Think he’s a linebacker or something 😉
Lol this made me laugh
Wow, you’re lucky Rachel maddow isn’t on the arseblog comments Johnny. She would be coming after you all guns blazing.
Proper Arsenal…
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CfBvbk6lquS/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
What, the video of him refusing to sign an autograph for someone wearing a Spurms jersey wasn’t enough for you?
Well that video was shot after he signed for Arsenal, right.
It’s entirely possible that he’s always made a point of refusing autographs to spuds, but it’s never been newsworthy before.
Arsenal’s talent identification has been spot on recently. Positive about his signing.
You have been positive recently as well.
Welcome to a new generation of Arsenal.
I think we’re playing the waiting game with clubs to see if they’ll pay what we want for Leno, Torreira, Pepe, Bellerin nearer deadline day.
I was just thinking the other day how we rejected £20m for AMN after his performance against Liverpool in community shield, now he doesn’t have a club that want him and we don’t have a spot for him, all because he wanted to transition to another position too late in the game. Hindsight.
Just interested to see how the outgoings go besides the incomings. I think we’re all waiting for Saka extension too.
Is the Saka contract extension officially on the table? Would be ideal to get that sorted before the new season.
It was on the table mid season already. Then they mutually agreed to delay it until after the season, from what I’ve heard. If it doesn‘t get sorted until the start of the season, I’m seriously starting to get nervous.
We‘re all assuming he‘ll extend as he loves the club but no one really knows what his personal ambitions are. If a club comes in, offers him massive wages and a chance to fight for the big trophies, I hope his love for the Arsenal will be big enough to commit.
I don’t get why we’d agree to delay mid season, maybe the transfers of this window have some effect on his decision making. We all worry about it being a sterling situation with city swooping in taking our star prospect, Mahrez won’t be around too much longer, we’ve taken jesus and Chelsea want sterling with him in his last year. City will eventually get aggressive, look how they raid Kalvin Phillips, grealish etc. They don’t care about producing more than the odd Phil foden for every £1bn spent but raiding everyone else in the league and I’m so sick of… Read more »
We delayed it because we feared that negotiations during the season could maybe have an effect on his performances and because we were hoping that we qualify for the CL and then find it easier to persuade him, I guess. I don’t think money is the issue here. Bukayo seems like a humble guy and I’m sure we‘ve offered him good money. I rather think it‘s about the direction we‘re going as a club as I have no doubt that he’s a highly competitive player and doesn‘t want to end up like Kane without ever winning something. So it‘s understandable… Read more »
Of course he already won more trophies than Kane but you know what I mean 😋
And here’s to that remaining the case until Openmouth retires.
Small thing in the grand scheme but I like Mikel’s way of welcoming incoming players “and their family” when joining. Nice touch.
He’s building the spirit of togetherness at every opportunity.
Butterfly effect…
There was also a story about Mikel organising themed lunches with cuisine from a particular player’s home country.
So with Matt Turner, the team could probably expect hamburgers, french fries, apple pie, and litres of cola.
BBQ or Tex/Mex good options as well. The best food in America comes from immigrant restaurants from all over the world. Unless you really love a good burger.
Some people say the same about the best food in England (not the burger part).
If you’re talking about non-immigrant food in the US you’re probably referring to spit-roasted buffalo followed by a round of peace-pipes 😋
Followed by a bit of horseplay in a wigwam if she’s up for it.
Actually I noticed that Mikel was not there at all for the first day of Fabio Vieira. Edu was showing him around, and he met with everybody, including Vinai and the BFG, but the manager was nowhere to be seen.
he’s on holiday
He was holding the camera
Has he never heard of a selfie stick?
Mikel was on the ringer to Gabriel…
Yeah I love this spirit, and assume in person Mikel’s also apologising for the inevitable “WAG” article the Daily Mail run welcoming his family….
It’s not small at all, watch Manchester city YouTube videos of how they treat their players, the facilities they have, everything is deliberately scales for high performance, from leisure etc. The way the club finds housing for the players, they even give them financial advisors to manage their finances. It’s all about giving the players nothing to worry about so they only worry about their football. Family goes without saying.
Any idea how much we paid for this guy?
OK, links are our friends so I clicked the one in the article and found the price. 5-7 million which should mean we cover that deal and some when/if we sell Leno.
Welcome to Arsenal, Matt!
Scrolled straight to the comments, didn’t you?
Yes and then back up for a quick scan followed by down then up again to confirm there was no price tag. I then regrouped and put my brain in gear and found the link.
You know how it goes.
Do you read the articles at all?
Yeah in my own ADHD kind of way with an initial scan and if interested followed by an occasional reread two or three times.
I often find the comments more interesting though. Which is not to say I don’t enjoy Arseblog’s writing. I enjoy it tremendously.
Apparently when he first stepped through the door of the club no-one recognised him, but then he bent down and rotated the welcome mat 90 degrees and that’s how they knew he was Matt Turner.
I hope he doesn’t let the opposition walk all over him.
Zadok- that was my best laugh of the day- well played,sir!
That’s absolutely terrible … But still made me laugh!
That’s absolutely brilliant!
If there were a Nobel prize for cheesiness, you’d walk off with it this year.
Straight mat or not, Mikel will be pissed when he gets back from holiday.
He left a brief specifically asking for shiny new signings.
I’m guessing this marks the end of Leno and we should get some decent cash for him as he’s a great keeper, just not that comfortable playing with his feet. Best era of arsenal keepers for a while to be fair.
On the face of it a bit underwhelming I agree but I’m not that sure he is coming as a definite number 2 this season myself. Things could not have gone better in the first half of last season for Ramsdale, probably better than Mikel expected and certainly a lot of fans but signs the honeymoon was over a bit in the last third of the season and when he got in for England he didn’t exactly shine. Certainly not writing him off, he is without doubt our Goalie of the future but needs to do a bit of development… Read more »
He’s a very good shot stopper and does really well with high balls in the box. His main weakness is playing the ball with his feet so hopefully will improve in that area. Needs to gain some experience at the PL/Europa League level, but will be a solid #2 option.
I hope he’s better than a ‘solid number 2’!
💩
A solid number 2 is the best kind of number 2, end of discussion.
I bet he floats
I’m loving’ it.
Have a nice day now, y’all hear?
😊🇺🇸🍺
Alex Runnarson – the deal that would have made George Graham suspicious.
It was an emergency signing after Martinez went to Villa. Runnarson had been Dijon’s keeper, though I think he had been recently replaced. If the goalkeeping coach says he’ll be okay, you mostly have to take his word for it because no one else has a clue, really. So a mistake, even a big mistake (that depends on the price), but nothing weird or suspicious.
Pepe, Willian, Soares…. They all sit well with you too?
I thought Runnarson was a different situation, and based on the golakeeping coach’s relationship, not an agent. If I’m wrong about that, then I would change my mind.
Our next priority should be Lisandro Martinez. His passing range and defensive capabilities is so vital in defense and midfield. Especially with the huge gap left after Tierney’s injury
Raphinha or Tielemans can wait.
I am not sure Raphinha can wait. He has many suitors, and it seems we were not his first choice. We have to act fast, if we really want the guy.
Tielemans can wait indeed.
As a second choice keeper, Turner is a step down in quality, not up, from Leno. Of course Leno is still with us and Arsenal’s record of moving players on is not great, so keeper could be the new center back for Arsenal. 4 or 5 first-team keepers in 22/23? (Ramsdale, Turner, Leno, Okonkwe, Runarsson)
Who is City’s second-choice keeper? And Liverpool’s? And Bayern’s? By definition a second-choice keeper rarely plays and no one of Leno’s quality and ambition (and age) is willing to play that role for long.
You can add Karl Hein to that list, but Runarsson will surely be let go.
Okwonko and Hein probably need a season long loan.
While we’re on the American note, two of Mr. Kroenke’s US franchises won the ultimate trophies this year, Rams won the Super Bowl and Avalanche the appropriately named Stanley cup. Is there a plan to add Premier league to his growing cabinet of silverware??
😜
Probably not this year but really soon, I hope. This year I’ll settle for the Europa League and top three, and maybe one of the domestic cups. (I know, I don’t ask for much, do I?)
Plan they think there is, let’s see how is it with the execution 🙂
Yoda is a gooner!
Welcome, Matty. Here’s wishing you all the best at the Arsenal.
Seems like a nice bloke and he also snubbed a Spurs fan the other day so that gets bonus points in my book.
Welcome to The Arsenal