Arsenal are reportedly prepared to bring Wojciech Szczesny back to the club (Image: Getty)
Arsenal are reportedly preparing a surprise swoop for former goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny to avoid a dearth of homegrown talent next season. The Gunners could target a new shot-stopper if Aaron Ramsdale leaves during the summer transfer window.
Premier League clubs must name a minimum of eight homegrown players in their 25-man squads at the start of the season. Arsenal included 11 in their squad for the 2023-24 campaign but several of those could depart.
England international Ramsdale has been linked with an exit having lost his place as the No 1 goalkeeper. There is also uncertainty over whether David Raya - who also counts as homegrown - will have his loan deal made permanent.
Interest in Emile Smith Rowe, Eddie Nketiah and Reiss Nelson is expected to reignite over the coming months. The 23-year-old goalkeeper James Hillson could also leave, potentially leaving Arsenal with just five homegrown stars above the age of 21.
According to the Evening Standard, the north Londoners plan to resolve the issue by signing a homegrown goalkeeper. Szczesny, who came through the club’s academy and played 181 senior games, is reportedly being eyed alongside Brighton's Jason Steele.
Wojciech Szczesny's last Arsenal appearance came in 2015 when he was caught smoking (Image: Getty)
The Poland international has played for Juventus since his departure from Arsenal in 2017. Szczesny’s Arsenal career went up in smoke after he was caught puffing on a cigarette after a 2-0 defeat against Southampton in 2015.
Arsene Wenger, furious over the incident, dropped Szczesny and fined him £20,000. The now-34-year-old failed to make another appearance for Arsenal - first sent on loan to Roma before he joined Juve.
In 2020, Szczesny told the Arsenal Nation Podcast of the incident: “Back at that time I was smoking regularly, and the boss knew it very well. He just didn't want anybody smoking in the dressing rooms, and I knew that also.
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“Because of the emotion of the game, I had a cigarette after the game when the team was still in. I went in the corner of the showers, so it was at the other end of the dressing room, and nobody could see me, and I lit one up.
“Somebody saw me, it wasn't even the boss himself, and just reported it back to the boss. I saw him a couple of days later - he asked me if that was true and I said, ‘yes’. He fined me, and that was the end of it.
“He then said, ‘Look, you're going to be out of the team for a little bit’, but there was no big bust-ups or big confrontations. I was very professional about it. I was fully expecting to be back in the team a few weeks later, but we had a good run of form and David Ospina, who came in goal, played really well for those few games. He stayed in.”
