Leno hints at Arsenal exit: No reason for Arteta to drop me!
Martin Macdonald
- Updated: 29 Sep 2021 09:21 CDT
- 3 min read
Arsenal goalkeeper Bernd Leno does not believe there is any clear reason for Mikel Arteta's decision to drop him from the starting XI.
Leno has by the Gunners' number one goalkeeper since signing from Leverkusen in the summer of 2018.
But, in the 2021 transfer window Arteta sanctioned the signing of goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale from Sheffield United for a reported fee of £30 million.
Ramsdale has started the last three Premier League games for the club and that has coincided with an upturn in form, with Arsenal winning each of those.
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Even though the improvement has been clear, Leno does not know why he was initially dropped and admits he will need to address his future in the January transfer window, with rumours of a move to Inter circling.
“There was no clear reason why I was out, but it had nothing to do with my performance. He [Arteta] is the trainer, he decides. Of course, it’s difficult for me," Leno said to SportBild.
“London is very nice; Milan is not bad either and closer to my home Stuttgart.
“But I’m not seriously thinking about that yet. I feel comfortable at Arsenal and in London.”
“Only if nothing changes in my situation by winter would I have to think about things: what option do I have, how can I continue? But I’m concentrating on my work in training; I can’t commit to anything else at the moment.”
Arteta: No issue with Leno
Following Leno's omission from the team, speculation gathered that there had been a disagreement between the keeper and his manager, Arteta.
The Spaniard insists that is not the case.
"No, that's not true," Arteta said of a reported rift with Leno. "He responded, you can be frustrated, but he was top with his team-mates in training with everything so that is not true.
"I don't know where they (the stories) are coming from but they are ahead of me!"
Even though Arsenal are enjoying a better period of form at the moment, they have endured a torrid start to the new campaign.
An opening day loss versus Brentford was followed up by defeats against Manchester City and Chelsea.
The Gunners are 10th in the Premier League currently.
