Arsenal get boost in summer transfer kit as London rivals secure Premier League security
Fulham guaranteeing their Premier League status for another season would not normally be high on Arsenal's list of concerns.
But the peasants 2-0 victory over West Ham in their final game, ensuring they will remain in the top flight next season, means the gunners now their London rivals owe them £2m.
Goalie Bernard Leno He moved to Craven Cottage from Arsenal in an £8m deal in August 2022, with the deal also including performance-related add-ons, including a survival fee.
As a result, Fulham He only paid an initial £3m upfront to secure Leno's services, before having to make his first £2m payment with the club to avoid the relegation last season.
With the north Londoners set to receive the same figure after the German international helped ensure his team's survival once again, there is still another £1 million for the Gunners to claim.
This clause, which would complete the £8m deal, is dependent on league appearances, and it can only be assumed that Fulham will have to pay given Leno has been virtually ever-present since joining his current club.
The former Bayer Leverkusen player played 36 league games in his first campaign in west London, where his team achieved a comfortable 12th place and has played every game this season.
And confirmation that Marco Silva's side will compete in the top flight next season is the latest achievement for Leno in his successful spell at Fulham. Silva signed a new long-term contract in December until the summer of 2027.
The 32-year-old goalkeeper has also recorded the second-highest number of clean sheets in the league this season, with nine, second only to Arsenal. David Rayá keeping more with 12.
Leno will be even more pleased with his progress at Fulham given the difficult circumstances that led to his departure from Arsenal.
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Having been the north London team's first-choice goalkeeper for his first three seasons at the club after joining in 2018, he then lost his place to the current one. Aston Villa goalie Emiliano Martínez after suffering a knee injury against Brighton in June 2020.
Although Martínez left for Villa Park at the end of the campaign, Leno's return to the starting line-up was short-lived as manager. Mikel Arteta replaced him with a new signing Aaron Ramsdale facing the 2022/23 season.
Despite this setback, it is Leno who has enjoyed a better time on the field of late, with Ramsdale since losing your place to new signing Raya, while the German has established himself throughout London.
And after Andreas Pereira's brace against West Ham renewed Fulham's Premier League status, Leno will now look to build on his good start at the club by helping them secure a first-half finish.
