Arsenal have ended their long-term association with goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny after he was allowed to join Juventus for an initial fee of around £10m. The Poland international had not kicked a ball for the Gunners over the past two seasons where he was loaned out to Serie A club AS Roma.
Szczesny kept a league high of 14 clean sheets for the Giallorossi last term, and it was inevitable that he would push for a move elsewhere rather than warming the substitutes’ bench at the Emirates Stadium.
A statement on Arsenal’s Official Website read: “Wojciech Szczesny has joined Italian champions Juventus for an undisclosed fee. Wojciech has spent the last two seasons on loan in Serie A with Roma. He made a total of 72 league appearances for the Giallorossi, keeping a record 14 clean sheets last term.”
Szczesny has inked a four-year deal with the reigning Italian champions, who will look to clinch seventh successive Scudetto in the upcoming campaign. Gianluigi Buffon will take up the goalkeeping duties as usual for the Turin giants, but Szczesny could earn his fair share of opportunities with the veteran likely to hang up his boots at the end of the campaign.
The 27-year-old managed 181 appearances for Arsenal during his eight-year association in the first-team, but his Gunners future bleak after Arsene Wenger initially signed David Ospina in 2014. The FA Cup holders have since utilised the services of Petr Cech as their first-choice shot-stopper, and they were happy to finalise a deal for Szczesny, who had just a year left on his contract.
Ospina’s future at the Emirates remains uncertain despite his pre-season participation, and his departure is likely to hand Emiliano Martinez with the backup role unless Wenger enters the transfer market for a new recruit.
