According to Jorge Bird, Arsenal have promoted young Estonian goalkeeper Karl Hein to the first team following the departure of Bernd Leno to Fulham this week.

The Gunners’ goalkeeping department has been pretty strong since the start of last season. Aaron Ramsdale was brought in even though we already had a Germany international in Leno, and we had no problems between the sticks whatsoever.

Leno has now moved on and he has been replaced by Matt Turner, while our third-choice goalkeeper from last season, Arthur Okonkwo, has been sent out on loan to Crewe Alexandra. That opened up a spot for someone else in the first team and Hein is the chosen one.

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Mikel Arteta promotes Karl Hein to the Arsenal first team

Jorge Bird claims that Arsenal have promoted Hein to the first-team squad ahead of the start of the new Premier League season on Friday.

The 20-year-old missed the Gunners’ pre-season tour through injury, but it is anticipated that he will be back in action very soon.

Hein is expected to take Okonkwo’s place in the Arsenal squad next season. However, that is dependent on the future of Runar Alex Runarsson, who the Gunners are trying to push out of the club before the window shuts.

The report further claims that following his promotion, Hein has been handed the number 31 shirt – previously worn by the likes of Sead Kolsinac, Jeff Reine-Adelaide, Ryo Miyaichi and even Sol Campbell in the 2009/10 season.

Who is Karl Hein?

Hein is a 20-year-old goalkeeper who is a full international for his country, Estonia. Standing 6ft 4in tall, the youngster has played 14 times for his national team having made his debut in September 2020.

The talented shot-stopper joined Arsenal on a scholarship contract from Nomme United in the summer of 2018. He was just 16 at the time and had already played senior football at his boyhood club back in Estonia.

Since joining the Gunners five years ago, Hein has played 33 times for the youth sides and was even sent out on loan to Reading in March this year. He has been named on Arteta’s bench on a few occasions as well and is viewed as someone with a big future.

Hein signed a new long-term contract with Arsenal in September last year, and he’ll be hoping to get an opportunity to make his senior competitive debut at some point in the upcoming campaign.

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