Arsenal Preparing Summer Move for Brazilian Shot-stopper Bento

According to the latest reports, Arsenal are preparing to make a move for Athletico Paranaense shot-stopper Bento in the summer transfer window. The Gunners are looking to add a goalkeeper to their squad and the Brazilian has been identified as one of the top potential targets.

Bento Krepski is one of the latest and highly-regarded talents emerging from Brazil. He started his football journey with the youth academy of Athletico Paranaense in 2013. Eventually, he got promoted to the senior team and made his professional debut in 2020 after two of the club’s main goalkeepers were ruled out due to COVID-19.

Last month, the 24-year-old made his debut for the Brazil national team in a 1-0 friendly match win against England. This debut, too, was pure coincidence as both Alisson Becker and Ederson were injured. Nevertheless, he has made a great impression with the fortuitous chances he received and his performances have not gone unnoticed.

According to Tutto Mercato Web (via The Hard Tackle), Arsenal have registered their interest in Athletico Paranaense goalkeeper Bento. The North London side are scoring the market to sign a new shot-stopper in the upcoming summer transfer window and the Brazilian has captured the attention of the club hierarchy.

The Gunners have always been fans of the skills and attributes of Brazilian footballers. The 24-year-old has played only for Paranaense so far, but a big-money move to Europe seems inevitable in the near future. Although his debuts were coincidental, he has blossomed into an outstanding shot-stopper.

Since his debut, he has featured over 150 times with 55 clean sheets (Stats via Transfermarkt) and has established himself as a vital cog for the team. In the 2023 Brazilian season, the young shot-stopper accumulated 22 clean sheets and conceded just 61 goals in 62 games across all competitions.

BENTO KREPSKI IS INSANE🤯 pic.twitter.com/NaGrjBGkVU

— chris 🇧🇷 (@crsxsa) April 6, 2024

The North Londoners already possess two world-class keepers, but the future of Aaron Ramsdale remains uncertain at the moment. The England international has been strongly linked with a move away from the Emirates and the club is looking for replacements.

Ramsdale was the undisputed starting goalkeeper for the Gunners till a year ago, but this season things changed. After the arrival of David Raya, the Englishman moved down the pecking order, with very few appearances and even less playtime. In a recent press conference, Arteta opened up on the future of Ramsdale (via Football.London):

“Now is the season, now is tomorrow, now is what we have done today and how can we improve tomorrow.”
“And those talks are for much after, I think.”

Meanwhile, Arsenal aren’t the only ones who are tracking Bento Krepski. His excellent displays for the Brazilian club have intrigued the interest of several high-profile European clubs. PL side Chelsea and Serie A club Inter Milan among others are also competing for his signature.

The Brazilian current contract runs till December 2026, but a move earlier looks certain. Joining big clubs like Chelsea and Arsenal will give Bento bigger and better opportunities to showcase his talent and potential, which in turn will give him a better way towards career growth.

With uncertainty surrounding the future of Aaron Ramsdale, the North London club are looking for alternatives if he decides to leave this summer. Besides Bento, the Gunners are also keeping tabs on American goalkeeper Patrick Schulte as a potential target.

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