Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny is reportedly set to join Juventus in a £10m deal having agreed a move in principle with the Bianconeri.
The Polish international returned to the Gunners this summer following a successful two-year loan spell with Roma where he established himself as one of the top shot-stoppers in Italy.
However, as reported by The Guardian, he’s now set to join Juve in a £10m deal while the 27-year-old will also pen a long-term contract and earn almost £70,000-a-week in Turin.
With Arsene Wenger set to use Petr Cech and David Ospina this coming season, it left Szczesny with an easy decision to move on, although he still won’t be getting regular playing time in the near future given that Gianluigi Buffon will undoubtedly continue as first choice at Juve.
Nevertheless, the Italian veteran is expected to soon call time on his playing career given he turns 40 next January, and it appears as though Juventus have settled on Szczesny to be the man to step in and replace him between the posts in the long-term picture.
While the Polish ace will undoubtedly benefit from training with a world-class legend in Buffon and the goalkeeping coaching staff at Juve, he’ll still now face sitting on the bench for a year which will surely be a source of real frustration for him having enjoyed such a successful stint at Roma.
Evidently though with this move, he’s thinking long term and when Buffon eventually decides to walk away from the game, Szczesny will be crucial in helping Juve move on and not miss the experienced icon.
As for Arsenal, it’s a questionable decision to let him move on, as he would arguably make the better replacement for Cech when he leaves the Emirates.