Arsenal have reportedly reached a verbal agreement with Premier League rivals Bournemouth for goalkeeper Neto but the deal will only happen if the Gunners fail to land Espanyol stopper Joan Garcia.
The North London club are on the hunt for a new goalkeeper after Southampton agreed a deal worth up to £25m for Aaron Ramsdale. The ex-Sheffield United man is back-up to David Raya at the Emirates Stadium, having lost the number one spot to the Spaniard last season. He played every minute of the 2022-23 campaign as Arsenal finished second to Manchester City in the Premier League. Raya’s loan from Brentford was made permanent earlier in the summer and with Ramsdale set for a move to the south coast, the Gunners need a new back-up before the 11pm transfer deadline on Friday.
García has been Arsenal’s main target to replace Ramsdale but they now appear to be moving with contingency plans as they struggle to come to an agreement with Espanyol. That is according to Fabrizio Romano who reports a verbal agreement has been reached with Bournemouth regarding a transfer for their goalkeeper Neto. Espanyol are said to have rejected two bids from Arsenal for Garcia as the Spanish club insist the goalkeeper will not leave unless his release clause is met.
The Athletic have also reported that a deal has been agreed and that a medical has been scheduled for Neto on Friday, after talks with Espanyol stalled. The move has been described as a straight loan, indicating no obligation to buy. Neto joined the Cherries in 2022 and has since been the number one choice on the south coast. He played 27 times in his first Premier League season and made 32 appearances last term while also playing in both league outings this campaign.
His position as number one at the club has come under threat, however, after Bournemouth signed Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga on a season-long loan deal on Thursday. The 29-year-old is the world’s most expensive goalkeeper having joined the Blues from Athletic Bilbao for £71m back in 2018 – surpassing the transfer fee Liverpool paid AS Roma for Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson Becker in the same transfer window.
Kepa said: “I know Andoni Iraola well, so of course that was a big reason for coming here, he spoke very well about everything here. I am so ready to be here and play in front of our fans. Hopefully we can win something and it could be a great year.”
