USA coach Gregg Berhalter has confirmed that New England Revolution goalkeeper Matt Turner is set to join Premier League giants Arsenal, speaking to SBI Soccer.
Turner may have been hoping to prove his shot-stopping skills to the Arsenal supporters on Friday, as the USA took on El Salvador in a crucial qualifier for the Qatar World Cup.
In the end, the 27-year-old might as well have brought his Sudoku book to Ohio, so comfortable was a 1-0 win far more one-sided than the scoreline may suggest.
El Salvador did not muster a single shot on target all night long. And Turner was little more than a spectator as Fulham’s Antonee Robinson made the difference at the other end of the pitch.
Turner is the reigning MLS Goalkeeper of the Year, however, and a 2021 Gold Cup winner to boot. His qualities are not in question.
And while the New Jersey-born glovesman is hardly a household name this side of the Atlantic that could soon change. The Guardian say that a £6 million deal between New England and Arsenal is close to completion.
Will Matt Turner replace Bernd Leno at Arsenal?
“He went to Fairfield University, was undrafted out of college, now he’s playing with the national team and he’s headed to Arsenal,” says Berhalter after Turner kept a clean sheet in his 14th USA appearance.
“It’s just an amazing story and it’s all down to him. His work ethic, his belief in himself and his never give up attitude.
“It’s a great story and Matt is a great guy, a great teammate and we’re lucky to have him. Tonight was an example of where he did everything that he had to do. He was calm in all situations.
“He looked like a player that’s going to Arsenal, for sure.”
Arsenal will sign Turner in the summer transfer window, in a deal that could rise to around £8.5 million.
He could replace Bernd Leno at the Emirates Stadium. The former Bayer Leverkusen stopper has grown frustrated with his back-seat role of late.
Newcastle United want to sign the German on loan. But with Turner not arriving until the summer, it seems unlikely that Arsenal would allow Leno to leave before Monday’s transfer deadline.
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