(Football news) According to reports, Bernd Leno is set to join Fulham in an £8 million deal this week after losing his place at Arsenal to Aaron Ramsdale. Leno, who turned 30, made just four Premier League appearances last season after being relegated to the bench as the second goalkeeper. According to Fabrizio Romano, Leno will sign a three-year contract with Fulham, with the option for a fourth year.

Leno will undergo his medical with the West London side after a few weeks of intense negotiations. He made 125 appearances for Arsenal after succeeding Petr Cech as first choice in 2018, helping the Gunners win the FA Cup in 2020 before being dropped for Ramsdale last season. Leno will become Fulham's fifth signing this summer after the arrivals of Kevin Mbabu, Joao Palhinha, Andreas Pereira and Manor Solomon. Arsenal on the other hand have already replaced Leno with American goalkeeper Matt Turner. The 28-year-old US international joined from the New England Revolution earlier this year.

Leno signed for the Gunners in June 2018 from German side Bayer Leverkusen in a deal worth £22.5m and was a fan favorite during his 4-season stint at the Emirates. However, the 6ft 3″ shot-stopper is now looking for more game time as the World Cup edges closer and he wants to get selected in the squad. Fulham’s current goalkeeper Marek Rodak played a key part in the team’s promotion back to the Premier League, making 33 appearances in the Championship, and keeping 14 clean sheets. However, Silva was keen to secure a more experienced player between the posts as they hope to avoid relegation. Fulham want to maintain their Premier League status intact especially after their owner Shahid Khan has invested heavily in the club's betterment. It is expected that Fulham will make a few more signings before the transfer window shuts as they are on hunt for a defender with Premier League experience

Ahead of this weekend's big Premier League kick-off, boss Silva has admitted that his side are "not ready for the top flight. We, as a squad, are not ready. These players, they are ready. I have to tell you, and I don’t want to speak for too much time about the situation, I want to be clear with you; now we have 16 senior players in our squad. No-one competes at this level with 16 senior players in your squad. I will tell you one more. No-one can prepare for one season with just two central defenders. We have two central defenders at this level.Everyone that understands football can see we need at least five or six more players”

Marco Silva added “I can continue, and I will not stop, but I don’t want to talk more about it. I’m talking because you asked me. I’m really happy with this group of players that we have. But everyone that understands football can see we need at least five or six more players. That is clear, if you really want to be competitive. These players need help to be competitive in the training sessions every single day.We cannot be five weeks into the pre-season with two central defenders. We can’t be competitive in this situation and I can talk about more positions as well but this will not help at all."

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