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What Arsenal told Bernd Leno before selling him for just £3m
Bernd Leno has been speaking about his time at Arsenal and the way it all ended after being the club’s first-choice goalkeeper for three years.
The German joined the Gunners back in the summer of 2018 for £19.3 million (). He spent four years at the Emirates and was the undisputed number one for most of his time there.
Leno lost his place to Aaron Ramsdale early last season and following the arrival of Matt Turner in the summer, he had no place at Arsenal. Mikel Arteta and Edu sold him to Fulham.
What Arsenal told Bernd Leno before selling him for just £3m
Arsenal changed their transfer philosophy before the start of last season.
They made it clear to everyone that they wanted to build a young squad, and the arrivals of Ramsdale, Ben White, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Martin Odegaard, Albert Sambi Lokonga and Nuno Tavares showed that.
Bernd Leno hadn’t particularly done anything wrong, but Arteta’s preference for youth and insistence on playing out from the back just made Ramsdale a much better fit for the system.
The German had to go last summer, and he has now alleged that Arsenal told him things like ‘you won’t be training with the team anymore’ before selling him.
Leno said in an interview with , as quoted by : “Last year at Arsenal was the first time in my career that I only played ten competitive games in a season. But I found my form and my rhythm relatively quickly at Fulham and performed well.
“It was very hard, but I knew it was no use feeling sorry for myself. So, I kept working hard on myself. I didn’t do anything wrong at Arsenal and they could always rely on me in my three years as number 1. It was a change of club, not an escape.
“The situation was that the club had said they wanted to continue with young players. If the club tells you that you won’t be training with the team anymore and other things like that, then you have to accept that. That’s also part of the business. And that’s why I was allowed to move in the summer for just £3m.
“It wouldn’t have done me any good to say: I’ll chill here for a year and take the money with me – and in the end, I’ll be completely out of the window. So, I had to change clubs.”
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Leno is a phenomenal goalkeeper, there’s no debate on that front.
The 30-year-old has been ‘amazing‘ for Fulham since joining them in the summer, and he’s one of the biggest reasons why the Lilywhites are seventh in the table, above the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea.
If Arsenal really told Leno he wouldn’t be allowed to train with the team, it’s probably a bit harsh considering how good he was for them for most of his first three years at the club.
Regardless of what happened before he was sold, a move away last summer was the best thing for all parties, and it has clearly worked out for everyone involved.
