June 20 (UPI) — Premier League power Arsenal agreed to a deal with Bayer Leverkusen keeper Bernd Leno.
Arsenal announced the acquisition on Tuesday. Leno, 26, began his senior career in 2009 with VfB Stuttgart II. He made the move to Bayer Leverkusen in 2011 and has since made 233 appearances with the squad.
The long-term deal is for nearly $30 million, according to the Evening Standard and the Telegraph.
Leno has also appeared six times for the German national team.
“We are very pleased that Bernd Leno will be joining us,” Arsenal coach Unai Emery said in a release from the team.
“Bernd is a goalkeeper of high quality and experience. He has been a top performer and regular number one goalkeeper with Leverkusen in the Bundesliga for the past seven years. We are all excited that Bernd has chosen Arsenal Football Club and look forward to start working with him in pre-season.”
Leno spent seven seasons with Bayer Leverkusen.
“We signed Bernd in 2011 as a very young keeper and put him in a position of great responsibility straight away,” Leverkusen’s designated sporting director Jonas Boldt said in a release. “He immediately repaid that confidence both in the Bundesliga and the Champions League. Bernd has consistently performed well for us over the years and he made his full international debut while he was here. A great goalkeeper – we wish him all the best in his future at Arsenal.”
Leno said he enjoyed his time with Leverkusen from day one and is “very grateful” he was signed as a 19-year-old.
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