Latest reports suggest that out-of-favour Arsenal keeper Bernd Leno is considering a move to Portuguese club Benfica in the upcoming transfer window. The German shot-stopper is looking to reunite with his former manager at the Primeira Liga side this summer.
Bernd Leno has seen his minutes at Arsenal dwindle ever since the arrival of English keeper, Aaron Ramsdale, at the beginning of the season. The former AFC Bournemouth and Sheffield United goalie has made an immediate impact at the Emirates, becoming a fan favourite and the manager’s first pick in no time at all.
His rise to stardom has come at the cost of loss of minutes for the German, who had been the first-choice keeper for the Gunners in the last three seasons. With game time at his current club uncertain, it is no surprise that Bernd Leno is attracting interest from clubs all across Europe and one of the major clubs in this potential transfer saga is Benfica.
According to Portuguese news outlet Correio da Manha (via Daily Mail), new Benfica manager Roger Schmidt wants to bring Bernd Leno to Benfica in the upcoming transfer window. The Gunners are ready to sell the German shot-stopper and have set an asking price of £8.5m.
🚨 Benfica have identified Arsenal goalkeeper Bernd Leno as a transfer target. 🇩🇪 🔴#SLBenfica 🔴#AFC pic.twitter.com/nA51WXCxNa
— Ekrem KONUR (@Ekremkonur) May 22, 2022
Schmidt has just recently joined Benfica and a reunion with Bernd Leno is on the cards for the new gaffer. The two previously worked together at Bayer Leverkusen from 2014 to 2017, before Leno was sold to Arsenal for £21.3m (according to Transfermarkt) and Schmidt moved to Chinese club Beijing Guoan. With Schmidt’s return to European football, the German manager is hoping for Arsenal to part ways with their wantaway goalkeeper.
Leno made only four appearances for Arsenal in the Premier League this season (stats via Transfermarkt) and has been overshadowed by Ramsdale whose clean sheet record is the fifth-best in the league this season. The German has refused to rule out a move away from his current club.
Verdict:
This isn’t the first time Leno has been replaced by and overshadowed by a teammate. In the German national team lineup, the 30-year-old is always shown the short end of the stick when sizing up against the giant that is Manuel Neuer. He has been replaced by Ramsdale in the same away at Arsenal.
Read More:
- Massive Boost for Arsenal Fans as Stan Kroenke to Back Arteta in the Transfer Window Despite UCL Failure
- Arsenal Offered the Chance to Sign Highly Rated Barcelona Defender, Arteta Weighing up a Move
- Major Transfer Blow for Man United and Arsenal as Barcelona Make Headway to Sign €40m Rated PL Midfielder
The player’s calibre is certainly clear not only just to Mikel Arteta but also to the football world as the German displayed a similar feat to Ramsdale when he had the fifth-most clean sheets in the Premier League last season. Coming off from such a strong season, then getting pushed down the pecking order got to hurt.
With the skillset that Leno possesses, he wouldn’t be too happy being a benchwarmer and it makes sense why he would want to look for pastures anew. Perhaps, a move away to a side that isn’t under global scrutiny every day, being with a manager he is comfortable working with might help the German regain his confidence and show the world what he is capable of.
Follow AD for the Latest Transfer Updates for Arsenal.
