It’s pretty safe to say that nobody saw Arsenal’s announcement on Friday coming in the slightest.
These days it’s quite difficult to keep a transfer under wraps but that’s exactly what the Gunners managed with their acquisition of Mat Ryan.
Arsenal signed the Brighton goalkeeper on a half-season loan until the end of the season.
Prior to that, there was zero speculation about the 28-year-old arriving at the Emirates Stadium and when that happens, it always adds an element of pleasant surprise to the announcement.
And here’s how fans of the North London club reacted to the deal on Twitter:
Ryan’s arrival casts major doubt on Alex Runarsson’s short-term future at Arsenal.
Mikel Arteta only signed the Iceland international last summer but a dodgy performance in a League Cup defeat by Manchester City last month appears to have diminished his manager’s confidence in him.
And now it looks pretty likely that Arteta will look to loan out the former Dijon stopper.
Ryan is available to make an immediate debut in today’s FA Cup tie with Southampton.
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