Arsenal went for one last new signing before the closure of this season’s transfer window. The Gunners had made three new signings during the transfer window. Spanish goalkeeper David Raya completed his move permanently from Brentford after spending the whole last season with the Gunners on loan. After that two Euro 2024 stars including Italian defender Riccardo Calafiori and Spanish midfielder Mikel Merino joined Arsenal. And recently Chelsea’s winger Raheem Sterling also moved to Emirates on loan. Now, the Gunners have signed Espanyol goalkeeper Joan Garcia before the transfer window closes.
Arsenal found Ramsdale’s alternative
Meanwhile, Arsenal also offloaded some of the players from the squad. Emilie Smith Rowe left Arsenal to join another premier league side Fulham and get regular playing time. Edward Nketiah also left Arsenal to join Crystal Palace as the forward was not getting sufficient playing time. And finally, another big name, English international Aaron Ramsdale also left the club to join newly promoted side Southampton.
Last season after David Raya arrived in the Arsenal camp, he immediately became the starter and kicked out Aaron Ramsdale from the number one position. As a result of this, Ramsdale became the backup option for Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta. David Raya made 41 appearances last season as compared to Aaron Ramsdale’s only 11 appearances in all competitions. That’s why Aaron Ramsdale left Arsenal to get regular football.
With Ramsdale gone, Mikel Arteta started to look for a back-up goalkeeper. He believed that Espanyol’s goalkeeper, Joan Garcia, who will be the perfect fit in the Arsenal squad. Joan Garcia is known for his strength in aerial situations and is very good with the ball at his feet, which makes him a perfect backup player for David Raya of Arsenal. Joan Garcia made 18 appearances for Espanyol last season and kept 8 clean sheets while conceding only 7 goals. The Spaniard made a huge contribution towards the end of the last season to help the team for the promotion to La Liga.
Arsenal were very much determined to sign this 23-year-old before the end of this summer transfer window, which they managed to do. The Gunners offered €20m for Joan Garcia but the Spanish side wants a transfer fee of €30m clause for Garcia. However, Garcia was very interested in joining the Gunners and had already agreed to all the personal terms.
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Chelsea winger Raheem Sterling completed the move to Emirates on a season-long loan. Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca already said that Raheem Sterling will not get any playing time if he remains at Stamford Bridge. That’s why the Blues were trying hard for a solution. And finally, they were able to find out a solution for Raheem Sterling. So, Raheem Sterling’s move to Arsenal is the fourth move that the Gunners have made in this summer transfer window.
Three big fixtures are waiting for the Gunners in the Premier League. The Gunners will face unbeaten side Brighton in this weekend in the Premier League. After that Mikel Arteta’s men will take on Tottenham Hotspur away from home. Finally, Pep Guardiols’s Manchester City will welcome Mikel Arteta’s men at Etihad on 22nd September. So, the upcoming three fixtures in the Premier League will be challenging for Arsenal. Between all these, Arsenal will face two big names in European football, PSG and Inter Milan to start the new Champions League tournament.
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