Arsenal braced for summer exit as Andrea Berta signing ‘wants more’

Arsenal signed the former Chelsea and Real Madrid man last summer but he could be set to quit north London after only one year in search for more game time

Premier League-winning goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga could be set for a move away from Arsenal this summer just a year after joining the club.

Having a dependable and ever-present first-choice goalkeeper like David Raya is both a blessing and a curse for Mikel Arteta, who may struggle to convince any prospective understudy that they will see meaningful minutes between the sticks.

Such is the situation in which Arrizabalaga finds himself this summer. The Spaniard, who arrived in north London after a stellar spell with Bournemouth, has seen limited playing time during his time at the Emirates Stadium.

While Arrizabalaga’s arrival last summer was set to increase competition between the sticks, another terrific season from Raya – in which he won the Golden Glove for the third season in a row – saw Arrizabalaga play just over 1,000 minutes in 12 matches across all competitions.

And now the 31-year-old wants more. Despite becoming a Premier League champion with Arsenal, reports in Spain from AS suggest that Arrizabalaga is open to leaving the Emirate Stadiums in a bid to regain his prominence as a first-choice goalkeeper.

The Spaniard became the most expensive goalkeeper in history when Chelsea signed him from Athletic Bilbao in August 2018 for around £72million. While Kepa still holds that record, his standing among the world’s elite goalkeepers has diminished considerably in the years since.

His spell on the south coast was enough to convince Mikel Arteta that he could, at the very least, provide reliable cover for David Raya and, at best, push his fellow Spaniard for the number-one spot at Arsenal.

Arrizabalaga, who returned to the English capital for just £5million, is under contract until 2028 and is not at this moment actively pushing for an exit from the club.

Despite the recent arrival of Illan Meslier, football.london understands that Arrizabalaga remains the first-choice alternative to David Raya.

While the former Athletic Club, Chelsea and Real Madrid goalkeeper has yet to receive any formal offers, it is understood Arrizabalaga would give serious consideration to any opportunity that would allow him to re-establish himself as an undisputed first-choice goalkeeper.

Nevertheless, the Spaniard is happy at Arsenal, and Mikel Arteta still has faith in the 31-year-old to play his part in the Gunners’ Premier League title defence next season.

But should Arrizabalaga decide to end his short spell in north London, he would have to negotiate a buyout clause with Arsenal.

The Premier League champions would not stand in the way of his departure, and will be closely monitoring the Spaniard’s situation in the event they need to enter the transfer market to add another shot-stopper to their ranks.

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