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United States Men’s national team goalkeeper Matt Turner has revealed that he is not moving to Arsenal to play second fiddle to Aaron Ramsdale.
In the January transfer window, the Gunners agreed a fee of £7.5 million with MLS side New England Revolution for Turner. The 27-year-old will join the north London club in this year's summer transfer window.
A move to Arsenal might be a step up, but it remains to be seen if Turner will be able to usurp Ramsdale in the starting XI.
The custodian, however, remains confident that he will be able to challenge the Englishman for a place in the starting lineup. He said:
"When I got my first chance with the national team, it was only as a No. 3. No one ever really took me seriously, so I’m not going over there just to collect a cheque and ride off into the sunset. I’m going to push myself, I’m going to push Aaron and continue to help him get better and help myself get better."
"You dream. You don’t really see a clear path of how it’s going to happen, but you just trust the work and trust your dream every single day, and continue to work hard, be self-aware, know what you need to work on, and listen to your coaches around you."
Turner added:
"I understand that it’s really challenging to get your foot in the door, so it’s really hard to say no to not only the chance to go fulfil a dream, but also to go challenge myself at the highest level and play for one of the biggest, most recognisable brands in the world in Arsenal."
Turner has been with New England Revolution since 2016 and has made 106 appearances across competitions for them, keeping 23 clean sheets. He is also a full international with the United States having 16 caps, his latest being on 3 February in World Cup qualifier against Honduras.
Displacing Aaron Ramsdale at Arsenal will be no easy task
Aaron Ramsdale has surprised many fans and pundits with his consistent displays for Arsenal.
Eyebrows were raised when the goalkeeper was signed for £24 million from relegated side Sheffield United in the summer. However, he hit the ground running and impressed when he was given his chances ahead of Bernd Leno.
Eventually, Leno was relegated to the bench for Ramsdale, who already has a litany of top saves this season. So far, the 23-year-old has kept 11 clean sheets for the club in 19 Premier League games this season. He was particularly impressive in the 2-0 win over Leicester City, where he made a string of exceptional saves.
