In a recent report, The Athletic revealed that Arsenal are hoping to land Wigan Athletic keeper Sam Tickle. It has been stated that the Gunners are eyeing a move to acquire the services of the English custodian this month.
Tickle’s Impressive Form In League One Last Season
Tickle had a solid campaign at the English club recently as he put in a string of impressive displays for them in League One. The 22-year-old conceded 60 goals and earned 18 clean sheets in 52 matches for Wigan Athletic last season in all competitions.
The English goalie did well to average 1.1 clearances and 4.8 long balls per 90 minutes in League One. However, he was a bit untidy when distributing the ball from the back based on his pass completion rate of 62.2% in the third tier of English football (stats via whoscored).
His current contract at Wigan will run out in the summer of 2028 which could make it tough for the Gunners to sign him on a cut-price deal this month.
Should Arsenal Boss Mikel Arteta Snap Tickle Up This Summer?
Tickle is a solid handler of the ball and can use his quick reflexes to make a few timely saves at the back for his team. He usually clears his lines when needed but needs to find a way to improve his ball distribution if he wants to be a success story at a top club like Arsenal.
Standing at 1.88m, the English is a towering presence inside his penalty box. However, he might struggle to cope with the high intensity of the Premier League. Still, there is no denying that he has the potential to be a future star in English football as long as he continues to develop with each season.
We can expect Tickle to enhance the quality of Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta’s match-day squad. He is good enough to serve as a decent understudy to David Raya at the North London club. Furthermore, he would be an ideal replacement for Aaron Ramsdale who is facing an uncertain future at Arsenal.
With all things considered, the Gunners would be wise to go all out to snap Tickle up before the end of this summer transfer window.
