Wojciech Szczesny to Roma: Latest Loan Details, Reaction and More

Wojciech Szczesny fell out of favor at Arsenal last season, so it was hardly surprising that the player was looking for a change of scenery this summer. Roma were more than happy to grant him that change, taking him on loan with a possibility of a permanent transfer on Wednesday. Arsenal announced the news. 

The 'keeper spoke about his move to Roma TV, per Football Italia:

"

I couldn’t wait to get here and now I’m here. It’s great to meet everyone around the club. Now I can’t wait to get started with some hard work.

It was a no-brainer for me. Once the offer from Roma came in, I spoke to Arsene Wenger and he told me it would be a fantastic move for me to join Roma and play in the Champions League, fight for the Serie A title and try and improve the squad.

I then spoke to Walter Sabatini and made my decision very quickly. I think it’s a great opportunity for me to gain valuable experience as a young goalkeeper but also to try and help the team.

"

Szczesny appeared in just 17 Premier League games for Arsenal last season, earning a 6.46 average match rating from WhoScored.com in those contests. But in January, he was reportedly fined £20,000 for smoking in the showers and was benched for David Ospina, who didn't relinquish the starting role. 

Szczesny, 25, has always been an interesting figure in goal. His size and athleticism allow him to be dominant at times, but he's also been subject to maddening lapses in judgement and avoidable errors that have marked his time at Arsenal as somewhat erratic. 

The fact that he wasn't able to win his job back during last season—along with the fact that the Gunners signed Petr Cech to be the first-choice 'keeper this summer—always made Szczesny's departure likely. 

Still, Roma are getting a talented player whose best seasons could yet be ahead of him. If he can avoid the occasional mistake and keep himself in his manager's good graces, he could be one of the sneaky additions of the summer.