Edu set to take another Arsenal transfer gamble two years on from major regret

Arsenal are closing in on confirming yet another transfer deal this summer with goalkeeper Bernd Leno edging towards a move to Premier League rivals Fulham.

Reports have suggested that the newly-promoted side are set to pay around £8m for the 30-year-old, with a medical and an official announcement the only things keeping him from officially becoming a Fulham player.

On the face of things, the deal is a positive for the Gunners. Arsenal are set to receive a useful fee for a player with only one year left on his deal at the Emirates Stadium, whilst they are also set to clear the former Bayer Leverkusen man's reported £5.2m annual wages off the books.

With the north Londoners still looking to add to their squad between now and September's deadline - Youri Tielemans and Cody Gakpo are among those linked with a move - that will only prove to be beneficial.

However, Edu's decision to move Leno on could potentially leave the Gunners in a somewhat vulnerable position regarding their goalkeeping situation. Most will argue that Aaron Ramsdale remains as the club's undisputed number one and that is true.

The Englishman impressed during his debut season at the Emirates Stadium, so much so that he earned international recognition. He endured an inconsistent end to the campaign though as Arsenal fell out of contention for a place in the Champions League.

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Competition for his position then would be vital for Ramsdale to continue his high performance levels or even if the 24-year-old is struck down through injury. With Leno gone, that would leave Matt Turner and Rúnar Alex Rúnarsson as the only back-ups at the Emirates Stadium.

The former is only in his first season outside of MLS following a switch from New England Revolution, whilst the Icelandic international does not appear to be a long-term option having been sent out on-loan to Belgian outfit OH Leuven last term.

Turner could defy any teething problems and be an admirable back-up to Ramsdale but the American could at the same time certainly be forgiven a shaky start to life at the club. Leno, a nine-time German international, would be a perfect deputy for Ramsdale despite his critics.

Interestingly enough, the Gunners have actually been in this exact position in the past with a dilemma having presented itself to Edu only two years ago. Having been handed the opportunity to play during the closing months of the 2019/20 season, it was suggested that Emiliano Martinez was ready to assume the role as Arsenal's number one.

In the end, that did not happen and he made a £20m switch to Aston Villa - a move that Arsenal would go on to regret considering the Argentine's spectacular performances for the Midlands outfit.

At the time, even Mikel Arteta suggested that he did not want to lose the services of Martinez. Speaking to the club's official website, he said: "Obviously, it wasn't in my plans to sell him. But we gave him the chance because he deserved it.

"He performed really, really well but we have to balance the books. We have to make the right choices in the market and obviously, I couldn't guarantee him to be the number one."

So whilst that move - and indeed Leno's anticipated switch to Fulham - makes financial sense for the Gunners going forwards, it is a huge gamble for the club and one that could potentially go drastically wrong.