Journalist Tips Newcastle United To Land This Arsenal Keeper: Good Choice For Howe?

In a recent interview with Give Me Sport, journalist Pete O’Rourke tipped Newcastle United to land Arsenal keeper Bernd Leno. O’Rourke said,

“I think that at Arsenal he’s well down the pecking order behind Aaron Ramsdale, so I think Leno would be interested in a move away from the Emirates Stadium, so that might be something they (Newcastle) look at.”

Leno’s Limited Role At The Emirates Stadium This Season

Leno has endured a frustrating campaign at North London as he has often found himself behind Aaron Ramsdale in Mikel Arteta’s pecking order. The 30-year-old has only made seven appearances for the Gunners this season, conceding 11 goals and securing two clean sheets across all fronts.

The German custodian did well to average 2.3 long balls per game in the EFL Cup. He was also accurate with his ball distribution after making 80.3% of his attempted passes in Carabao Cup football (stats via whoscored).

Is Leno A Good Choice For Newcastle United?

Leno has excellent reflexes that help him make some decent stops at the back. He can be a solid handler of the ball when he is playing with confidence on the field.

The German international is usually tidy when passing the ball out from the back. However, the lack of playing time has not done his confidence any good which has left him on the fringes of Arsenal’s match-day squad.

At 30, Leno has still got enough time to turn his career around for the better. Thus, he will be a decent choice for the Magpies to consider in the summer as long as they are willing to make him a regular starter at St. James’ Park.

Eddie Howe has got enough experience to instill some confidence in the German goalie that might help him get the best out of the talented keeper at the Tyneside club in the coming seasons. Moreover, Leno is good enough to offer some healthy competition for Martin Dubravka who has struggled to be consistent with his performances for the Magpies this season. Therefore, it makes sense for Newcastle to engineer a cut-price move to bring Leno to the northwest of England when the transfer window commences later this summer.