England goalkeeper Richard Wright has completed his transfer from Ipswich Town to Arsenal. Reports suggest the deal is worth in the region of £6million and that the 23-year-old has signed a five-year contract with the North London club. Wright has been with Ipswich since 1995 and was instrumental in their promotion to the Premiership and an integral member of the team that secured a place in next season's UEFA Cup.
He becomes Arsene Wenger's fourth signing of the summer, following the arrival of Sol Campbell, Giovanni van Bronckhorst, and Francis Jeffers at Highbury over the last few weeks. Wright will have to compete with 37-year-old David Seaman for the keeper's spot in the Arsenal line-up next season with current reserve keeper Alex Manninger expected to leave in light of Wright's transfer.
"Richard is a young talent and I was looking for someone who could challenge Seaman right away," said Wenger. "He can certainly do that and it is up to him. He loves Arsenal and we need an English base in the team so I'm delighted to have got him. If Richard does well then he can be in the first team and I hope he makes it a tough decision for me."
"I had very convincing reports about him from our scouts last season. He's very alert, has a good understanding of the game, good anticipation and he is sharp - all the good attributes of a modern goalkeeper," added Wenger. "But he is also here to learn from David Seaman because he has 15 years of knowledge and is such a good coach that he can pass a lot on to Richard. It will be a competitive situation, which is what I’ve wanted all along, and the good thing about Seaman is his attitude, and he accepts there will be that competition."
Wright himself cannot wait to challenge Seaman for the number one jersey. "I will not take anything for granted but I feel I'm ready to challenge David. That's the way I am, and I hope I can do it. I need that challenge and I want to go for it and push him. I will be disappointed if I start the season on the bench but I shall be 100% behind David if I am because I want what is best for Arsenal. I accept that if I'm not in the first team it may affect my chances of representing England in the World Cup next year, but my aim is to play as many games as possible for Arsenal, and if I get the opportunity to play Champions League football then I hope I can have a good season."
Filed by Amanda Fennelly
