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Arteta reportedly keen on move for Unai Simon as Arsenal replacement for Leno
Mikel Arteta is reportedly keen on bringing in Athletic Bilbao signing Unai Simon as a replacement for Bernd Leno this summer.
, the Arsenal boss wants to bring in the 23-year-old shot-stopper in the transfer market, who could be available for a similar fee as ‘Leno’s price-tag’ that the Gunners paid in 2018 for the German keeper, which at around £19m.
Despite being the Arsenal number one since his arrival, Leno has come under fire in certain moments this season for blunders that have cost Arteta’s side precious points in games, most recently in the Gunners 1-0 loss to Everton, where Leno was at fault for the Toffee’s sole goal of the match as the keeper allowed a cross from an obscure angle to roll through his legs and into the net.
Simon is a keeper with a growing reputation in La Liga for the Basque side, with Spain manager Luis Enrique calling the Athletic keeper ‘outstanding’ in a recent . The 23-year-old has played every minute in the league this season for Bilbao, keeping eight clean sheets.
TBR View: Arsenal should stick with Leno for an extra season and then assess options
It’s easy to jump on a player’s back following a few errors in matches and to demand a replacement, yet for Leno, Arsenal supporters have seemed to have forgotten just how impressive the German international has been over the past three seasons for the club.
Whilst there have been mistakes this season, Leno has been one of the Gunners’ best goalkeepers in the Premier League era since joining from Bayer Leverkusen three years ago, and whilst the shot-stopper does make a poor mistake once every blue moon, the 28-year-old has saved Arsenal’s skin on multiple occasions.
Whilst Simon could be a potential Arsenal keeper given his age and experience in a top-flight division, the Gunners should stick with Leno for an extra season, and if the club believes he needs replacing after that, then options can be assessed as to who should take over between the sticks.