Arsenal sign Mat Ryan from Brighton on loan until the end of the season

While all the talk today has been dominated by the seemingly imminent arrival of Martin Odegaard from Real Madrid, the Gunners have moved to bolster their goalkeeping options by signing Brighton's Mat Ryan on loan until the end of the season.

Emiliano Martinez stepped in at the back end of the 2019/20 campaign, deputising for the injured Bernd Leno and having played a major role in the club's FA Cup triumph it's fair to say the fans at the time, were divided on whether Mikel Arteta made the right decision to let him leave for Aston Villa.

Having lost the Argentine, in came Runar Alex Runarsson from Dijon in France but after a few uninspiring displays it seems he has failed to convince the Arsenal boss that he is a capable second-choice.

In the signing of Maty Ryan, it seems Arsenal have seized an opportunity that is unlikely to inspire the faithful but feels like a very shrewd piece of business. At 28 years old, the Australian will bring some Premier League experience to Arteta's squad having played 121 times in the English top-flight to date.

The Brighton man has made 11 appearances in the league this season but hasn't been a part of Graham Potter's squad since the trip to Leicester City in mid-December and with his contract due to expire this summer, an exit has been on the cards for a while now.

Arsenal's technical director Edu has described the boyhood Gunners fan as a 'proven talent in the Premier League' - perhaps a further indication of their concerns over Runarsson's lack of experience at this level.

As well as having played in the English, Spanish, Belgian and Australian top-flights, Ryan has also competed at both the 2014 and 2018 World Cups, representing his country.

He was named the best goalkeeper in the 2015 Asian Cup and has 59 international caps to his name. Born in Sydney, the stopper grew up supporting the Gunners and has spoken of a time when he used to wake up at 4am to watch the club's UEFA Champions League matches during his first interview with the club.

Should Arsenal progress in the FA Cup this weekend, they could be required to fulfil no fewer than ten fixtures between now and the end of February. As such, Arteta clearly felt the need to bring in a more experienced and arguably more able deputy to Bernd Leno sooner rather than later.

The trip to St. Mary's on Saturday may come around a little too soon for Ryan but he could be involved in Arsenal's clash with Manchester United a week tomorrow at the Emirates Stadium.