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Report: Arsenal on verge of completing deal to sign exciting 21-year-old

By on June 13, 2019

According to the Independent, Arsenal are on the verge of completing a deal to sign highly-rated German goalkeeper Markus Schubert on a free transfer from Dynamo Dresden.

Unai Emery has been tipped to enter the market for a new goalkeeper this summer after Petr Cech’s retirement. David Ospina is due to return to Arsenal following a successful loan spell at Napoli but widespread reports suggest the Colombian international will complete a permanent move over the coming weeks so we need someone to compete with Bernd Leno.

The Independent claims Arsenal are now closing-in on a free transfer deal to sign Schubert after former Head of Recruitment Sven Mislintat identified the young keeper as a potential target before he left his role at the club last season.

The 21-year-old is regarded as one of the most exciting up-and-coming goalkeepers in German football and he’s known as a modern ‘footballing’ keeper who is just as capable with his feet as he is with his hands.

Schubert came through the youth ranks at Dresden before breaking into the first team set-up and he kept 9 clean sheets in his 31 appearances in the Bundesliga 2 last season to help the club finish 12th in the table.

His contract will expire this month and it looks like he’s set for a move to the Emirates but it appears Emery has earmarked him as a long-term competitor for Leno rather than an immediate understudy.

That’s because the Independent says that despite the deal not being officially announced, Arsenal are already looking at the possibility of sending Schubert out on loan next season with clubs in the Championship and in Germany being contacted.

If that turns out to be the case, it will be interesting to see if Emery also brings in another more experienced goalkeeper to replace Cech and act as back-up for Leno next year.

Assuming Schubert is viewed as a serious long-term option, then I suspect Arsenal may just promote Emi Martinez as number two behind Leno next year, send Schubert out on loan and reassess the situation in 12 months time.