The US international was restricted to a part-time position at the Emirates Stadium and decided to leave after only one season in North London.
Matt Turner knew he had to leave Arsenal for a new challenge, and Nottingham Forest came knocking to sign the USA goalkeeper.
Turner, 29, joined Forest during the summer transfer window, signing a four-year contract worth £10 million. The former Arsenal goalkeeper has been limited to a backup role at the Emirates.
Despite being a fixture for his national team, Turner struggled to get playing time after leaving the New England Revolution in 2022. He made only seven total appearances, none of which were in the Premier League.
Turner found it difficult to accept his role as a backup option after failing to remove Aaron Ramsdale and then seeing David Raya arrive from Brentford. He thought it was time to take a new direction and departed.
He told GOAL last year: “Towards the conclusion of the season, I felt like I could have played more games.
“I was hardly catching a whiff of them. I was practicing hard and doing everything I could to earn minutes on the team, but it just wasn’t happening for me.”
Turned explained that he thought he had no choice but to make a transfer, saying: “I knew that if I waited another year, it would have been more difficult for me to make a lateral move within the Premier League.” So I understood that time was of the importance at that point.
“If I had gone another season without playing, I would have probably had to take a break. And once you’re out of it, it’s difficult to go back into, especially if you don’t speak English.”
Turner bears no grudges, despite being upset at Arsenal for not getting enough game time. He even lauded the man who kept him out of Arsenal’s squad last season.
He went on to say, “I give credit to Aaron [Ramsdale] because he brought it every day. When he saw an opportunity, he slammed the door shut. And I think he’s an excellent goalkeeper.”
Turner made his Premier League debut for Forest three days after arriving at the City Ground. Ironically, his previous team won 2-1 away at Arsenal. He has made 17 Premier League appearances this season.
