Brad Friedel has been explaining what he’s heard about Nottingham Forest signing Matt Turner. The Reds completed their third summer signing earlier this week and he will likely start against Arsenal on Saturday.
It’s not been an easy transfer window for the Reds. Forest have been courting new players for weeks now but will head to Arsenal at the weekend with just a trio of new signings in their ranks.
Turner didn’t play much for Arsenal during the 2022/23 campaign as the Gunners nearly won the Premier League. He made just seven appearances which all came in either the Carabao Cup or the Europa League.
Friedel is intrigued by his compatriot joining Forest. He hopes that he can become the number one goalkeeper but has explained that he’s heard something quite different.
He told Sky Sports News: “If he is going to Forest, from what I hear, he is going to be a number two to Forest, maybe it gives him more of a chance to play. Maybe he was told that they were going to bring in Raya and he was going to be number three. I hope for his sake that he will be given a fair shake to be the number one at Forest. He is a great kid and a really good goalkeeper. If he is signing as a number two elsewhere, again, I just don’t understand that. There are other teams he can play for as a number one.
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Friedel doesn’t think Turner will be number one at Forest
These will definitely be interesting times for Turner. For the first time in 12 months, he will get the chance to be a number one, at least in the short term.
However, Forest do still want a new goalkeeper. As a result, Friedel could be proved right when he says that he’s heard that he will only be considered a number two in the future.
At 29-years-old, the player will want to be playing regular football. If Dean Henderson arrives, however, he could find himself as a number two once again.
Turner has everything within his grasp though. He will be tasked with keeping goal at the start of the season and if he plays well enough, there’s no reason why Steve Cooper won’t let him keep the gloves.