Yesterday, Arsenal recorded a 5-3 win over Nürnberg in a pre-season friendly, where there was no sign of Fulham and Newcastle target Bernd Leno.
What’s the story?
Well, it has been said that Fulham are closing in on a deal for the Germany international, who lost his place to Aaron Ramsdale last season.
It comes after Newcastle expressed an interest in signing Leno, although the Magpies may have cooled their interest in the £19.2m man after bringing Nick Pope to Tyneside.
However, there are doubts over the future of Martin Dubravka, so Eddie Howe could decide to sign another glovesman this summer if the Slovakian leaves.
Now, the chances of Leno leaving the Emirates Stadium seem very high, after Mikel Arteta left him out of the win over Nürnberg completely.
According to BILD, this was done to ensure the 30-year-old did not pick up an injury, as that would spoil any chance of a move away from north London.
In all competitions last season, Leno made just eight appearances, and it has been said that he wants regular playing time next season to ensure he makes Germany’s World Cup squad.
Bernd Leno should choose Fulham over Newcastle
In our view, Leno is far likelier to play every week if he joins Fulham instead of Newcastle.
As aforesaid, Newcastle have only recently signed Pope, who arrived from Burnley in a deal worth £10m.
Of course, Leno is more likely to be involved in a relegation scrap at Craven Cottage than he would be at St James’ Park, but in many ways, that is actually good for a goalkeeper.
It means the German will presumably be exposed to more shots from the opposition, giving him a better chance to showcase his talent in between the sticks, and hopefully catch the eye of Hansi Flick.
Be sure to keep an eye on this situation, as we expect Leno to leave Arsenal in the coming weeks.
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