- EXCLUSIVE from Graeme Bailey
Arsenal look set to miss out on the chance to bring Wojciech Szczesny back to the Premier League with the Juventus goalkeeper instead reuniting with Cristiano Ronaldo at Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Nassr.
HITC understands that Arsenal had hoped that they would be succesful in their attempts to lure the Poland international back to the club where he started his career.
Wojciech Szczesny was handed his first-team debut by legendary Gunners boss Arsene Wenger back in 2009. He made over 180 appearances for the London giants, winning two FA Cups and securing the Premier League’s Golden Boot in 2013/14.
And, a decade after leaving the Emirates for a fresh start at AS Roma, Arsenal have been looking to reunite with a man who looks set to leave Juventus this summer.
HITC have been told that Mikel Arteta’s team wanted Szczesny to operate as an experienced back-up to David Raya, freeing up Aaron Ramsdale to depart. The one-time Brentford loanee, due to the time he spent as a teenager in Arsenal’s youth system, would also have counted as a ‘homegrown’ player.
Arsenal miss out on Wojciech Szczesny return
Szczesny has, however, opted to link up with his former Juventus team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo in the Middle East instead. Al-Nassr will stump up £4 million while offering Szczesny an eye-watering £400,000-a-week over the course of his two year deal.
That is not only the biggest contract of Szczesny’s career, but also substantially more than he’d have likely earned as Arsenal’s number two goalkeeper.
HITC have also been informed that Al-Nassr turned to the three-time Serie A winner after initially targeting free-agent and Manchester United icon David de Gea. It was Ronaldo who reccomended Szczesny to his current employers, Al-Nassr also reportedly in for the Portuguese’s one-time Real Madrid team-mate Casemiro.
The Saudi Pro League giants already have Sadio Mane, Alex Telles, Otavio, Aymeric Laporta, Marcelo Brozovic and Anderson Talisca in their ranks.
Arsenal also have an interest in young Sunderland shot-stopper Anthony Patterson, as well as Villarreal’s Filip Jorgensen. A goalkeeper is still likely to be a priority at the Emirates, Ramsdale having made no secret of his frustration after losing his starting spot to Spain intenrational Raya.
Aaron Ramsdale exit likely this summer
“(Raya and I) work professionally really well together,” Ramsdale said early last season, via The Guardian. “We push each other in training and there’s days where I come in and I’m down because of the situation and he picks me up.
“And for whatever reason, there might be a day where he’s down and even though I’m suffering and hurting for not playing, I have to stand up and be able to push him.
“Because it’s one of the first times (I have been dropped), it has been difficult. There’s a lot of attention. It’s a position where it’s famously said if you’re not spoken about, it means you’ve done a good job. There’s a lot of talk at the minute.
“Whether it is me or David who plays we need to be able to just focus and play but at the same time, it’s a strange, big headline.”
Ramsdale has admirers at Chelsea and Newcastle United. A move to St James’ Park no longer appears to be on the cards, however, with The Magpies going all in on Burnley’s James Trafford.
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