Matt Turner has not spent much time at Nottingham Forest, yet his departure from the English side seems imminent. The USMNT star previously joined the East Midlands club from Arsenal in the summer of 2023. Forest paid the Gunners about $9 million to sign the American goalkeeper on a permanent deal.
At the time, the move was considered to be a solid deal for Forest. After all, Turner is typically the starting goalkeeper for the USMNT and fared fairly well with Arsenal. Although he was a backup with the Gunners, the shot-stopper kept four clean sheets in seven cup appearances during the 2022/23 campaign.
Despite being brought in at Forest to be their new number one last season, things have not exactly worked out. Turner initially started the team’s first 10 Premier League matches of the 2023/24 season. While he kept clean sheets against Chelsea and Crystal Palace, former Forest manager Steve Cooper relegated Turner to the bench after a 3-0 defeat to Liverpool.
The American’s precarious situation only got worse when the club signed fellow goalkeeper Matz Sels on February 1st. The move pushed Turner even further down the pecking order at the club. Along with Sels, Forest also recently purchased Carlos Miguel as well. The Brazilian is now backing up Sels and Turner has been left out of the squad for both of the team’s first two league games this season.
Nottingham Forest plays hardball in negotiations for Matt Turner
While Forest would like to move on from Turner, they have rejected loan offers from several clubs. According to ESPN, the club prefers to recoup at least some of its investment by sanctioning a permanent transfer. Nevertheless, a suitable offer has yet to be submitted for Turner.
A potential move back to MLS is, however, out of the question at the moment. While the transfer window remains open in Europe, it is now closed in North America. This means that Turner cannot join an MLS side anytime soon. The goalkeeper previously began his senior career with the New England Revolution.
Outside of MLS, teams from the English Championship and Bundesliga are reportedly interested in signing Turner. It remains to be seen if these clubs would be willing to pay a substantial fee for the American. In turn, Forest may have to bite the bullet and sanction a loan. Turner’s current contract at the club does not expire until 2027.
Turner situation latest headache for USMNT officials
The biggest issue for Turner is to hang on to his starting position with the USMNT. Turner has mostly been used as the top keeper between the posts for the national team since 2021. This, however, could change if the New Jersey native does not find a new team before the transfer deadline day. The window in England closes on Friday, but it remains open until September 2nd in Germany.
Assuming Turner remains a Forest player beyond these dates, potential new USMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino will have a headache to deal with. The goalkeeping position is not necessarily now a strong suit for the Stars and Stripes. Not only has Turner lost his place in England, but backup Ethan Horvath is also enduring a tough time with his club as well.
The Cardiff City keeper has struggled mightily to start the season. The American has allowed eight goals in just three matches with the Bluebirds. It is the worst current defensive showing in the Championship. It remains to be seen if the club drops Horvath for their next league fixture at the weekend.
Outside of the underperforming duo, the USMNT also has Sean Johnson. Nevertheless, the veteran keeper is now 35 and has only earned 13 senior caps for his country. Relatively unproven players such as Drake Callender and Patrick Schulte could also enter the fray as well.
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