Arsenal
Arsenal would be foolish to not retain £19.2m star amidst interest from Bundesliga powerhouse
Why Arsenal should hold on to Bernd Leno amidst Bayern Munich links
According to The Sun, Arsenal shot-stopper Bernd Leno is the subject of interest from Bavarian giants Bayern Munich, who have set their sights on the 27-year-old as a long-term replacement for the struggling Manuel Neuer.
Neuer, who is struggling with injuries and a dip in form, is still Bayern’s undisputed No.1 between the sticks but with the veteran’s illustrious career on the decline, the Bundesliga champions need a replacement.
Leno, though, is not Bayern’s first-choice when it comes to replacing Neuer, with the German heavyweights identifying Barcelona star Marc-Andre ter Stegen as the prime target for the throne. (h/t Sun)
Bernd Leno has shipped 17 goals in 12 appearances in the Premier League for the Gunners this term, keeping only two clean sheets in the process.
The 6-cap German international, who carded 304 appearances for Bayer Leverkusen across all competitions over the course of seven campaigns in the Bundesliga before completing a switch to Arsenal last summer, has only managed a mediocre tally of 11 shut-outs in 48 outings for the Gunners so far.
However, Leno has, indeed, been one of the most inspirational additions to Arsenal’s ranks since the arrival of Unai Emery.
The Gunners slipped down to 6th in the Premier League standings with a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Leicester City on Saturday night, with a listless and disjointed unit once again putting in a lacklustre performance bereft of any sort of creativity.
To that end, though, Bernd Leno was once again the pick of a bad bunch and a rare bright spark for Arsenal, as the German prevented his team’s demise on a number of occasions with a supreme command of his penalty area.
With the Foxes looking head and shoulders above the Gunners, both in terms of quality and intensity, the visitors once again found themselves in sixes and sevens at the back.
However, Leno more than held his own amidst all the defensive chaos, as he has done so often this season.
His lion-hearted display between the sticks was a mere consolation in the end for the Gunners, who suffered their third league defeat of the campaign.
To put things into perspective, Bernd Leno is currently an indispensable component of Arsenal’s rather unsettled and disgruntled side and losing him to Bayern Munich would be an unfathomable loss that the Gunners simply cannot afford.
Verdict
Arsenal’s grave defensive problems have loomed large throughout Emery’s tenure as the manager and judging Leno’s performances based on the number of clean-sheets wouldn’t be the wisest idea, after all.
The German has been called into action far too often for his liking, with several defensive combinations tried by the manager over the past twelve months failing to provide any kind of steel and stability to the side.
Suffice to say, Bernd Leno has been quite outstanding since his move to the Emirates last summer and with his present contract set to run until the summer of 2023, there is no reason why Arsenal should even think about parting ways with the German in the near future.
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At 27, the £19.2m Arsenal star already boasts of plenty of top-level experience in his CV and a like-for-like replacement with a similar profile could cost the Gunners a fortune in the market, something that they can ill-afford given so many gaping holes in other areas of the squad.
With that in mind, Arsenal should do everything in their power to hold on to their undisputed No.1 amidst interest from the Bundesliga giants.
Arsenal Women look to strengthen their Champions League qualification hopes when they host FC Twente at Meadow Park on Tuesday night.
The defending champions sit tenth in the league phase standings with six points from four matches and need victory to maintain realistic hopes of finishing in the automatic top-four qualification spots.
Kick-off: 20:00 GMT, Tuesday, December 10, 2025
Venue: Meadow Park (Mangata Developments Stadium)
TV: Disney+ (UK)
Form Guide
Arsenal secured a dramatic 2-1 victory over Liverpool on Saturday, with Stina Blackstenius netting an 87th-minute winner after Olivia Smith’s opener was cancelled out by Beata Olsson. The result extended their unbeaten run to five matches across all competitions and marked their fifth WSL win of the season.
In Champions League action, the Gunners beat Real Madrid 2-1 on November 20 after coming from behind through Alessia Russo’s second-half brace. However, they lost their opening two home European games at Meadow Park against Lyon (0-1) and claimed a 2-0 away victory at Benfica between those fixtures.
Twente remain winless in the Champions League with just two points from four matches, sitting 14th and two points outside the playoff places. They drew 1-1 with Chelsea and Benfica but suffered defeats to OH Leuven (1-2) and Atletico Madrid (0-4). Despite their European struggles, Twente top the Vrouwen Eredivisie unbeaten with seven wins and one draw from eight matches.
Team News
Arsenal will be without Daphne van Domselaar (quad), Chloe Kelly (knee), Manuela Zinsberger (ACL) and Katie Reid (ACL). Anneke Borbe made her Arsenal debut against Liverpool and will earn her first Champions League start for the club on Tuesday.
Leah Williamson is available for limited minutes as she continues her comeback from the knee injury sustained at Euro 2025. Kim Little requires careful management after recent calf problems, with Renée Slegers describing it as “a loading issue.”
Twente have former Arsenal midfielder Jill Roord in their squad after she surprisingly joined from Manchester City during the summer, citing a desire to rekindle her love for football by returning home.
Predicted Lineups
Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Borbe; Fox, Wubben-Moy, Catley, McCabe; Cooney-Cross, Little; Foord, Maanum, Blackstenius; Russo
Twente (4-3-3): Lemey; Stroot, Oudejans, Pijpers, Oude Elberink; Groenewegen, Andradóttir, Pelova; Proost, Van de Velde, Roord
Also read: News of Unrest Engulfs Arsenal Women Camp – Manager Renee Slegers Clarifies
Renee Slegers has strongly denied reports of splits and player power issues within the Arsenal Women camp, insisting the reigning Champions League winners remain united despite sitting eight points behind WSL leaders Manchester City.
The Athletic published a damaging report during the international break, alleging divisions in the Gunners’ dressing room and dissent over player influence.
Slegers addressed the claims head-on during Friday’s press conference ahead of Saturday’s clash with bottom-placed Liverpool.
“There Will Be Noise” – Renee Slegers Hits Back at Dressing Room Unrest Reports as Arsenal Face Liverpool
“We won the Champions League, historically Arsenal has been the most successful team in England,” Slegers fired back. “There will be noise, there is noise. That’s all on the outside. We know what we’re doing on the inside.”
High-Performance Environment Creates Challenges
The Arsenal boss acknowledged the demands of elite football while defending her squad’s mentality. “It’s a high-performance environment so it’s a very challenging environment, we demand a lot of things from each other and it should be like that,” she explained.
“Every group of people will have things that they have to manage and get through. I am very positive about where we are at. We’re in a process, I believe in the process and we’re going in a really good direction.”
Slegers expressed frustration at the timing and nature of the report. “It’s unfortunate that is what’s written about us when we’re doing so many good things.”
Williamson Returns as Injury Crisis Continues
Arsenal will be without goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar and England winger Chloe Kelly for Saturday’s noon kick-off, meaning summer signing Anneke Borbe will make her debut between the posts.
However, there’s positive news with the return of England captain Leah Williamson, who makes her first appearance this season after being sidelined with a knee injury since the European Championship. Midfielder Kim Little is also available again.
“Leah has a presence, which sometimes even without speaking it sets standards and creates a certain environment,” Slegers said. “It will be really, really good to have her back. It’s such a win for the team.”
Liverpool held Chelsea to a draw last month despite sitting bottom of the table, suggesting Saturday’s fixture at the Emirates Stadium won’t be straightforward for an Arsenal side desperately needing to close the gap on City.
Also read: Arsenal Women vs. Liverpool Women: Predicted Lineups + Match Preview
Arsenal Dragon
Renee Slegers Confirms The Position Arsenal Women Are Looking To Sign a Player From in January Transfer Window
Renee Slegers has confirmed Arsenal will sign a goalkeeper in January after revealing Daphne van Domselaar will miss the remainder of 2025 with a quad tendon issue, leaving the club relying on debutant Anneke Borbe and teenager Amy Liddiard.
The Arsenal boss made the admission during Friday’s press conference ahead of Saturday’s clash with Liverpool, where summer signing Borbe will make her full debut with 17-year-old Liddiard providing backup from the bench.
Van Domselaar requires an injection for her quad tendon problem and won’t return until the new year, compounding Arsenal’s goalkeeper crisis. Manuela Zinsberger is already out for the season after rupturing her ACL in October, one of 17 players across the WSL to suffer knee injuries during that month alone.
“We Need Three Goalkeepers Available”
Asked directly if Arsenal want to sign a goalkeeper in January, Slegers didn’t hesitate. “Yes, definitely, because Manu is out and Daphne has been managing issues, so we’re definitely looking,” she said.
“We’re definitely looking at that position because we think we need a really strong goalkeeper union with three goalkeepers available and we’re not in that situation at the moment so we’ll have to solve that for the second half of the season.”
Arsenal have also been linked with Swedish right-back Smilla Holmberg as they look to strengthen multiple positions during the winter window.
Chloe Kelly Adds to Injury Woes
The goalkeeper situation isn’t Arsenal’s only injury concern for Saturday’s noon kick-off. Chloe Kelly suffered a knee injury on England duty against Ghana on Tuesday and will miss the Liverpool match. Like van Domselaar, Kelly could be unavailable until the new year.
Katie Reid and Michelle Agyemang (on loan at Brighton) have also suffered season-ending ACL injuries this campaign, highlighting the brutal injury toll Arsenal have endured.
Slegers Dismisses Dressing Room “Unrest” Reports
Slegers was also asked about The Athletic’s report claiming the dressing room has been “splintered for many years” with some players “wielding significant influence” and underlying tension between squad members.
The Arsenal boss firmly rejected the narrative. “We won the Champions League, historically we are the most successful club in England, there is noise on the outside, there will always be noise, but on the inside we know what we are doing,” she responded.
“I didn’t agree with it and I think it is unfortunate that this is what is written about us while we are doing so many good things and a lot of people invested in the process.”
Also read: Arsenal Women vs. Liverpool Women: Predicted Lineups + Match Preview
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