Arsenal sign 28-year-old goalkeeper: Shirt number confirmed | OneFootball

Mathew Ryan has joined Arsenal on loan from Brighton until the end of the season, with Runar Alex Runarsson expected to go on loan.

Arsenal have confirmed that Mat Ryan will join the club for the remainder of the season. He’ll wear the number 33 shirt, with Mikel Arteta citing the goalkeeper’s experience in the Premier League for why they’ve brought him in.

“We know Mat very well through his performances with Brighton in recent seasons and he brings additional quality to our squad,” Arteta said.

“Mat has very good Premier League experience and has played over 100 times in the league, which is something that will benefit us greatly on and off the pitch. We welcome Mat to Arsenal and look forward to working with him this season.”

Ryan posted on his Twitter page that he was “buzzing” to be signing for the club he “grew up supporting as a kid”, adding, “will give everything I’ve got to contribute to the first club I ever loved”.

In another bit of good news, the 28-year-old’s transfer was completed in time for the player to be eligible for Saturday’s FA Cup clash with Southampton. If selected, he can feature in the match.

Ryan isn’t homegrown, so he’s using up another non-homegrown spot in the squad. However, Runar Alex Runarsson is likely to go on loan this month. Football.London write that he’s expected to go out in the coming days.

The Australian goalkeeper joined Brighton in 2017, and remained their number-one goalkeeper until December 2020, when he was abruptly dropped from the squad completely.

The 28-year-old didn’t have the best start to the current campaign, but it was still a shock to see him suddenly ousted.

He’ll hope he can make a positive impression over the next six months, and perhaps secure a permanent transfer at the end of the season. He has a deal with Brighton lasting until 2022.