Arsenal keeper Fabianski joins Swansea
- adamhigginsuk
- May 29, 2014
- 2 min read
On the move: Fabianski, who is understudy to Woijech Szczesny for club and country, will remain in the Premier League but has decided to switch Arsenal for Swansea (Picture from Sky Sports)
SWANSEA City have clinched the free transfer of Arsenal goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski on a four-year deal, the Welsh club have confirmed.
The 29-year-old has signed a four-year deal and will join on July 1 once his contract with the Gunners expires, ending a seven-year stay in North London.
Fabianski, who has 21 caps for Poland, refused a new £50,000-a-week deal to remain at Arsenal and has snubbed other Premier League and European clubs in order to find regular first-team football.
He becomes the first signing under Garry Monk's permanent reign as manager and will cast the future of first-choice goalkeeper Michel Vorm, heavily linked with Liverpool, into further doubt.
Fabianski joined from Legia Warsaw for £2 million in July 2007 and made a total of 78 appearances, keeping 23 clean sheets and conceding 81 goals.
His final Arsenal outing came in their 3-2 extra-time win over Hull City in the FA Cup final at Wembley on 17 May.
Fabianski made 14 appearances in all competitions last term but only one came in the Premier League - on the final day of the season against Norwich.
He was an ever-present in the League Cup and their winning FA Cup run, saving two Wigan penalties in the semi-final shoot-out victory.
The former Lech Poznan stopper also denied Thomas Mueller from the spot at the Allianz Arena as Arsenal bowed out of the Champions League in the last-16 second leg in March.
Fabianski, who made his debut in the League Cup against Sheffield United in October 2007, found first-team opportunities limited following the emergence of fellow countryman Woijech Szczesny, 24, in 2011.
Fabianski will now provide competition for Dutch international Vorm, should he remain at the club, and German veteran Gerhard Tremmel.
He told Swansea's official website: "If I'm completely honest, the main reason I came to Swansea was because I want to be the number one goalkeeper.
"I want to play week-in, week-out. It's going to be a real fight but I'm not afraid of that. Competition is always good, so I think everyone will take positives from that.
"I'm excited. I've already asked for the pre-season programme to see how it looks. I'm really looking forward to starting with my new team-mates and I think it's going to be a fantastic chapter in my life."
Gunners boss Arsene Wenger said in February he hoped Fabianski would stay at the club and extend his contract but admitted his departure was likely.
Arsenal have already lined up potential replacements with Cardiff custodian David Marshall and Reading's Alex McCarthy mentioned as targets.
Last updated: 29 May 2014 09:46am
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