Arsenal have announced the loan exit of young Republic of Ireland midfielder, Jack Henry-Francis as Spain’s legendary goalkeeper, Pep Reina joins Como in Serie A.
Arsenal confirmed the exit of Henry-Francis to the Republic of Ireland club, Sligo Rovers.
“Jack Henry-Francis has joined Sligo Rovers on loan until the end of the Irish season in November,” the Gunners club statement reads.
Jack, 20, joined Arsenal from Fulham Academy at the age of 13 in 2016. Regarded as a top footballing prospect, he regularly made Arsenal’s first-team training sessions but was yet to register a Premier League appearance for the club.
Notably, Arsenal’s deal with Sligo Rovers for Jack Henry-Francis is for the short-term, with the youngster expected back to the club, three months after 2024-25 Premier League kickoff.
Before his loan exit, Jack was able to register three appearances for Arsenal in the EFL Cup but has been awaiting his Premier League debut. In the 2022/23 Premier League 2 campaign, he made 23 appearances for the club’s U-21. However, the stat dropped in the just-concluded 2023-34 campaign as he managed only 15 appearances for the team.
Jack is expected to further hone his footballing skills, joining Sligo Rovers in the top echelons of the Republic of Ireland football league.
“I’m looking to get some exposure to first-team football really and when I get the chance, I want to put in some really good performances,” he said.
Como sign former Liverpool and Barcelona goalkeeper Pepe Reina
Former Liverpool and Barcelona goalkeeper, Pepe Reina, has joined newly-promoted Serie A club, Como, from Villarreal.
The legendary Spanish goalkeeper, who clocked 41 on 31 August 2023, is not hanging the boot soon and is set to link up with his countryman and Como head coach, Cesc Fabregas.
The Serie A side confirmed the signing of Reina on a one-year contract till 2025.
“Como 1907 is pleased to announce the signing of Pepe Reina until June 2025,” Como club statement reads.
Reacting to the signing of the top-rated goalkeeper, Cesc Fabregas, said the team is happy to have Reina joined the club, given the depth of his experience, performances, and competitive mentality. He added that the 41-year-old’s contribution will be crucial to the team’s growth.
“We are thrilled to welcome Pepe to the club. He is a goalkeeper with great international experience and a very competitive mentality. For these reasons, I am sure that his contribution will help the team to grow and improve.”
Reina described Como as a beautiful project and reiterated his readiness to contribute to the team.
“I arrive in a beautiful project, a family that continues to grow and tries to raise the bar every year. I return to a league that I know well and that I know is very competitive, for my part I want to give my contribute to the development of this club”, he said.
Reina is one of the most experienced goalkeepers, having kept the sticks for some of the biggest clubs in Europe. His career peaked at Liverpool in the Premier League, where he tallied 285 appearances in the English top flight, winning the FA Cup, EFL Cup, Community Shield, and the UEFA Super Cup. He also reached the Champions League finals in 2007 with the Reds.
He won the Premier League Golden Glove three times and was part of Spain’s national team that won the 2010 World Cup and 2012 UEFA Championship.
Reina is joining Como as a free agent after his contract with Villarreal expired. He played for the La Liga club for two seasons before running out of his contract. Como is likely to be Reina’s last stop after a legendary career that spanned 23 years across eight clubs in Germany, England, Italy, and Spain.
