A lot of the focus on Arsenal this transfer window has been on those coming in. This has resulted in not much being said about those leaving the club.
But there is a change in that with goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez who has joined the championship club Reading on a loan basis.
As per the Express, the management agency that Martinez has employed posted on Instagram a photo of the keeper driving on the motorway with the caption reading “news soon”.
This fueled speculation that the Argentine was set to leave the club. As this talk grew, the Gunners put a stop to that with an announcement about the deal on their official website.
The club had this message for the outgoing keeper:
“We wish Emi well for remainder of the season with the Royals.”
Martinez who is 26, is third in the pecking order behind both Bernd Leno and Petr Cech. So, he has not been able to play many games this season.
With Cech set to retire at the end of this season, there is a strong possibility that he will become the second choice for the Gunners from the beginning of the next season.
A loan move such as this is good for the player as it gives Martinez the option to get some matches under his belt. This experience will do him a world of good.
This will be the sixth loan spell that Martinez has had since joining the Gunners’ youth team in 2010. Most of his loan deals have been in the Championship with a stint in the Spanish League with Getafe thrown in as well.
Despite never really breaking through the Arsenal first team, he has shown more than enough to suggest that he is a keeper worth keeping at the club.
In the limited number of matches that Martinez has played for the Gunners, his command over his area has been particularly impressive. Arsenal will be hoping that he comes back as a better player with some games under his belt. Then, he will be ready to take on the mantle of Petr Cech.
