In a surprising turn of events, Manchester United have officially announced the signing of goalkeeper Hubert Graczyk, who recently parted ways with their rivals Arsenal.
Despite not making any first-team appearances for the Gunners, the 21-year-old was a regular feature at both the Under-18s and Under-21s level. Graczyk also had a stint on loan at Slough Town in the National League South, where he made four appearances for the club.
Unfortunately, negotiations for a new contract with Mikel Arteta’s side fell through, leading to Graczyk becoming a free agent this summer. Nevertheless, the Poland-born goalkeeper wasted no time in finding a new home at another English giant, Manchester United.
Expressing his excitement, Graczyk took to Instagram to share his joy: “Buzzing to have signed for this massive club, let’s get to work.” The talented shot-stopper is now set to represent Manchester United Under-21s in the upcoming season.
Looking back to January 2023, Graczyk had previously discussed his focus on improving his ability to deal with crosses. He mentioned, “What I’m particularly working on at the moment is dealing with crosses. That’s a big one for me. I’m not the biggest goalkeeper, I’m 6ft 1in which is on the smaller side for a keeper.”
He continued, “There were some World Cup matches on while we were away, and I obviously watched them looking mainly at the keepers. Wojciech Szczesny did really well for Poland. He’s one I always look to anyway. My dad’s a big Arsenal fan, all my family are Arsenal fans, I grew up an Arsenal fan, so it was always Wojciech and Lukasz Fabianski I looked at.”
In addition to Graczyk’s arrival at Old Trafford, Manchester United are also in the final stages of securing a deal for Chido Obi Martin, who recently saw his contract with Arsenal expire.
Despite the young striker’s agreement to move to Manchester United, complications regarding the compensation fee have arisen. Journalist Christopher Michel has indicated that legal intervention might be necessary to determine the appropriate compensation, as Manchester United cannot acquire the player on a free transfer despite his expired Arsenal contract.
As Manchester United continue to strengthen their squad for the upcoming season, the signings of Graczyk and potential addition of Martin highlight the club’s commitment to securing top talents in the transfer market.
