Latest news with #WalterBenitez
New York Times
11 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
PSV Eindhoven goalkeeper Walter Benitez to have Crystal Palace medical
PSV Eindhoven goalkeeper Walter Benitez is set to undergo a medical with Crystal Palace on Friday ahead of a move to the Premier League. Benitez is set to be out of contract with PSV later this month and has not signed a new deal, with Palace having held discussions with the 32-year-old. He is now poised to move to the south London club. Advertisement FA Cup-winners Palace are looking for a third senior goalkeeper, with Matt Turner's season-long loan from Nottingham Forest ending. Turner, the USMNT goalkeeper, is set to join Ligue 1 side Lyon after they agreed an €8million (£6.74m) deal with Forest. Remi Matthews, who was third choice behind No 1 goalkeeper Dean Henderson and Turner, and who featured once for Palace last season, has extended his contract. Benitez is expected to provide cover for Henderson and potentially compete with the England international. Argentinian goalkeeper Benitez spent six seasons at French club Nice, where he made 188 appearances. He joined PSV in the summer of 2022 on a free transfer and has made 134 appearances for the Dutch club. During his three seasons in the Netherlands, Benitez won back-to-back league titles in 2024 and 2025. Benitez earned one cap for Argentina in March 2024 and has made his national team's bench regularly, supporting No 1 goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez. Meanwhile, young goalkeeper Owen Goodman is in discussions over a loan move to Huddersfield Town, with the League One side seeking to reach an agreement with Palace and the 21-year-old keen to make the move. Goodman spent last season on loan in League Two with Wimbledon, winning the golden glove award for the most clean sheets as he helped them to promotion via the play-offs. Wimbledon are keen to bring him back to the Cherry Red Records stadium for another year but he now looks set to move to Yorkshire with Huddersfield. Goodman is highly-rated at Palace and spent the 2023-24 season on loan with Colchester United. He is now approaching 100 senior appearances after featuring 52 times across all competitions for Wimbledon last season. Goodman was named in England Under-21s' pre-European Championships training camp squad last month but hopes to play in next year's World Cup for Canada. He is eligible also for Nigeria. Advertisement 'Canada, all day long,' his father Phil told The Athletic of his son's international allegiance in March. 'He knows the competition he has for England. I think he's already made his decision. 'He tells me he feels more Canadian than Nigerian. His preference is Canada, but the only way that can happen is if he gets his citizenship. That is through the Canadian Soccer Association (CSA), but we may see if we can do it off our own back because he wants to become a citizen anyway and it gives him a better chance of a call-up.' Analysis from Thom Harris Benitez brings a wealth of experience between the sticks, a regular starter in goal for French top-flight side Nice across five seasons. In 2018-19, he was statistically the third-best shot-stopper in Europe's big five leagues, preventing almost 13 goals based on the quality of shots he faced. The Argentine also has European experience, starting all but one of PSV Eindhoven's Champions League games this season, while no player racked up more minutes for the Dutch side throughout their last two title-winning campaigns. Speaking to The Athletic in 2023, Benitez stressed the importance of keeping composed under pressure. He also spoke about his distribution, outlining his comfort with the ball at his feet and ability to switch up his game based on the opposition. The 32-year-old is a calming presence and can only serve to bolster Palace's goalkeeping depth.
New York Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Crystal Palace in talks to sign PSV goalkeeper Walter Benitez on free transfer
Crystal Palace are in discussions with PSV goalkeeper Walter Benitez over a move to the Premier League. Benitez, 32, will be out of contract with PSV later this month and is yet to sign a new deal, meaning he is free to discuss a move with interested clubs. Palace have entered talks with the goalkeeper to bring him to south London. Advertisement The FA Cup winners are looking for a third senior goalkeeper with Matt Turner's season-long loan from Nottingham Forest ending. Turner, the USMNT goalkeeper, is expected to join Ligue 1 side Lyon after they agreed an €8million (£6.74m) with Forest. Remi Matthews, who was third choice behind No 1 goalkeeper Dean Henderson and Turner, and who featured once for Palace last season, has extended his contract. Should he sign, then Benitez is likely to come in as competition and cover behind Henderson. Argentinian goalkeeper Benitez spent six seasons at French club Nice, where he made 188 appearances. He joined PSV in the summer of 2022 on a free transfer and has made 134 appearances for the Dutch club. During his three seasons in the Netherlands, Benitez has won trophies with PSV, including back-to-back league titles in 2024 and 2025. The most recent league victory came as a result of Ajax's collapse in the title run-in. Ajax blowing a nine-point lead at the top of the table led to PSV Eindhoven winning the Dutch title on a tense final day in the Eredivisie in May. Benitez earned one cap for Argentina in March 2024 and has made his national team's bench regularly, supporting No 1 goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Four Players Arsenal Must Sign This Summer
Who do Arsenal Need to Sign This Summer? It has been another disappointing season for Arsenal, missing out on major silverware for the fifth straight year and ending the season trophyless for the third year running. It is evident that Arsenal need to splurge the cash in order to challenge for trophies — but who should they sign? Let's take a look at some potential transfer options for the Gunners. Goalkeeper: Walter Benitez Arsenal boast one of the strongest shot-stoppers in England in David Raya, but they are in need of a new backup goalkeeper, with Neto set to return to parent club Bournemouth. With Raya locking it down in goal, Arsenal should resist temptation to sign Espanyol's Joan Garcia for an exorbitant fee and instead sign Walter Benitez. Photo: IMAGO At 32 years of age, Benitez has already staked his claim as one of the best goalkeepers in Ligue 1 for Nice before moving to PSV Eindhoven in 2022, where he helped win two Eredivisie titles. Available on a free transfer this summer, Benitez would be a shrewd signing to help reinforce Arsenal's goalkeeper department and put increased pressure on Raya. Defensive Midfielder: Martin Zubimendi Between Gabriel Magalhaes, William Saliba, Jurrien Timber and more, Arsenal are spoilt for choice in defense. However, the same cannot be said for their midfield options: apart from Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard, it's hard to find a ton of quality. However, it does appear that they have made strides to beat out the competition and sign Real Sociedad's Martin Zubimendi. Photo IMAGO Considered one of the best midfielders in Spain by LaLiga pundits like Sid Lowe and Derek Rae, Zubimendi has proven his mettle as a superb deep-lying playmaker for La Real, and he looks set to replace Jorginho as the club's midfield orchestrator. However, if Arsenal are unable to agree a new deal with Thomas Partey, whose contract is set to expire this summer, then they could be forced into adding yet another midfielder to their squad. Winger: Rafael Leao AC Milan have missed out on European football after a pathetic eighth-place finish, and as such, they will be forced into parting ways with a number of key players this summer. One player who will undoubtedly be headed for the exit is Rafael Leao, having failed to play a single minute in their final match vs. Monza. Leao has shown plenty of signs of his quality throughout his time at Milan, leading them to the Scudetto and the Champions League semifinals and forming a stellar pairing with Theo Hernandez down the left flank. Photo IMAGO Capable of racing down the wing and chipping in an incisive cross, Leao takes no prisoners with his brilliant dribbling and ball control. Similarly to Herculez Gomez, Leao has a poacher's instinct that enables him to reach the edge of the box at just the right time and get a shot off with minimal backlift. With Raheem Sterling on his way back to parent club Chelsea and other players like Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli potentially departing North London this summer, Arsenal need a bonafide star at the left winger position: they should look no further than Leao. Center Forward: Viktor Gyokeres Last but not least, Arsenal need to ensure that they do not beat around the bush and instead splurge the cash on an elite center forward. After a season that saw them lose Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus to long-term injuries, and that forced Mikel Merino to deputize as a center forward, you get the sensation that they have learnt their lesson. The likes of Hugo Ekitike, Ollie Watkins and Victor Osimhen have been linked with a summer move to the Emirates, but perhaps their best bet at the 9 is none other than Viktor Gyokeres. Photo: IMAGO Gyokeres has spent the past two years dominating Portuguese football, leading Sporting to back-to-back league titles as well as a Taça de Portugal. Similar to Lucas Bartlett, he never shies away from an aerial duel, utilizing his bulky frame and impressive jumping ability to leap above his opponent and win the challenge. As the top scorer in European football, Gyokeres has proven his worth not just in Portugal but in the UEFA Champions League as well, and he has what it takes to become a club legend for the Gunners. After watching helplessly as Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah powered their teams to league titles, there can be no more doubt that Arsenal need an elite scorer to lead them to the title. Could Gyokeres be the answer to their woes?
