Despite only being Arsenal’s second-choice keeper, Matt Turner has proven to be anything but ordinary. The talented stopper showcased his brilliance in Sunday’s quarterfinal victory over Canada, where he made two crucial penalty saves during the penalty shootout.
This stellar performance adds to his impressive penalty-saving record, which includes a notable save in the USMNT’s Gold Cup opener against Jamaica. Turner’s consistent form has been a source of inspiration for the young team as they set their sights on more continental success.
Despite his limited playing time at Arsenal, Turner has established himself as a standout player for the US Men’s National Team (USMNT). His second season in England seems to be going to follow a similar trajectory to the first. Although he managed to secure a place in the team over the first-choice goalkeeper, Aaron Ramsdale, in the previous campaign, it was primarily in cup competitions, with only seven starts. Now, as the team trades their Europa League berth for a place in the Champions League, Turner’s playing time could diminish even further if Arteta decides to stick with Ramsdale in Europe.
Looking ahead to the 2026 World Cup being played in the States, which the USMNT is eagerly preparing for, next year’s Copa America serves as a crucial evaluation of the team’s potential. Considering this, it would be logical for Turner to seek regular playing time at the club level and consider following his USA team-mate Folarin Balogun out the door in search for more regular consistent playing time away from the Emirates.
There is also the consideration, for Arteta, is that Turner has a growing list of admirers which could mean a nice bit of profit for the transfer kitty, but also the fact that Arsenal have many other promising keepers already on the books.
Karl Hein, the Estonian international with 22 senior caps already, also has a growing reputation, and at 21 years old he could be ripe for promotion to backup keeper.
Also we have Artur Okonkwo who is also 21. He received glowing reports from his loan at Sturm Graz, he played 15 games and helped to win the Austrian Cup. He has already been picked 7 times for Arteta’s first team squad so I think he is the one most likely to take Turner’s place on the bench if he decides he needs to move on…
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