Arsenal close in on their first summer signing: A good move by Emery?

Arsenal are nearing a deal to sign German shot-stopper Markus Schubert who would be their first signing of what is expected to be a busy summer for the north London side.

The Mirror has claimed that the Gunners will complete the signing of Schubert within the next few days. Unai Emery is expected to make a substantial number of changes after his side’s disappointing end to last season.

Arsenal didn’t only let the chance of finishing inside the top-four in the Premier League slip away but were also outclassed by Chelsea in the Europa League final as they were beaten 4-1 by their local rivals.

The goalkeeping sector is an area that is a cause of concern for the former Paris Saint-Germain manager after the departure of Petr Cech and he is apparently taking the necessary steps to bring Schubert into his ranks.

Markus Schubert: Profile

Schubert emerged through the youth ranks of German side Dynamo Dresden and despite being a 21-year-old, he has already established himself as the first choice goalkeeper for the German second-tier outfit.

He mustered 31 league appearances in the previous campaign and managed to bag 6 clean sheets, which was the fourth best in the league. In the process, he made 3.1 saves per game on an average.

Schubert has represented every Germany youth side from Under-17 to Under-21 and is part of the exciting crop of goalkeepers emerging from the German setup.

Interestingly, his contract with Dynamo Dresden is set to expire at the end of this month. Therefore, the north London outfit will be able to sign him for free which is really not a bad idea.

But will this solve Emery’s problems in the goal?

While Petr Cech retired after the end of the previous campaign, Napoli are keen to sign David Ospina permanently after he impressed during his loan spell last season. It has also been claimed that Ospina is desperate to make an exit from the Emirates Stadium.

Emery used Bernd Leno as his first-choice goalkeeper but he needs to keep Leno on his toes. The Spaniard needs a back-up for Leno but it might be too big an ask to expect Schubert to provide competition for first-team football right away.

He is still in his learning years and will need to gain experience, something which can be done by loaning him out, preferably to a Championship club. Impliedly, Emery needs to acquire a world-class goalkeeper even if he signs Schubert.

Statistics Credits: WhoScored & Transfermarkt