Arsenal 'exploring' deal to sign Sam Tickle as Arteta looks to make last-minute signing
Arsenal are exploring the possibility of signing Wigan Athletic goalkeeper Sam Tickle as Mikel Arteta seeks to strengthen its squad during the last days of the transfer window, according to The athletic.
The Gunners announced their second major signing of the summer on Tuesday with the signing of midfielder Mikel Merino from Real Sociedad. The Spaniard follows in the footsteps of defender Riccardo Calafiori and heads to north London, while goalkeeper David Raya has also made his loan move from Brentford permanent.
Arteta remains active in the market, however, and while Arsenal are expected to bring in another striker before the window closes, they are also looking to sign at least one more goalkeeper before Friday night's deadline.
Following Karl Hein's loan move to Real Valladolid, the Gunners are short of goalkeeping options, so Arteta needs to sign another No.3 in the coming days, and the club are particularly interested in a player who can be considered homegrown.
Arsenal have been heavily linked with Dan Bentley in recent weeks and Wolves rejected a bid earlier in the summer.
New goal
However, it seems that Londoners have their sights set on other goals. The athletic Arsenal are now “exploring” a deal to sign highly-rated Wigan goalkeeper Sam Tickle.
The 1.88m goalkeeper has emerged as one of Britain's hottest young talents since establishing himself as Wigan's first-choice last season after coming through the club's youth system.
Tickle made 52 appearances in all competitions for Wigan last season, keeping 18 clean sheets, and was named the club's Player of the Season. His form earned him a call-up to the England Under-21 squad in March, where he made his debut against Luxembourg.
The 22-year-old is under contract until 2028 so Wigan are under no pressure to sell, and it remains to be seen how much the player is willing to give up regular first-team football to be a No.3 at Arsenal.
Yeah Aaron Ramsdale Arsenal will also be looking for a new Raya back-up, but Tickle is highly unlikely to be considered for that role. Instead, Arteta is likely to target a more established name, such as Espanyol's Joan Garcia, who is heavily linked.
It's going to be a busy few days at Arsenal as Arteta looks to strengthen his squad for the current season, with a particular focus on revamping his goalkeeping department.
