Arsenal goalkeeper Karl Hein has signed for Championship club Reading on loan for the remainder of the 2021-22 season.
The 19-year-old has made the bench in the EFL Cup and Premier League this season but is yet to be handed his senior Arsenal debut under Mikel Arteta.
Despite continued speculation surrounding a possible exit for Bernd Leno, Hein has now linked up with the Royals in his bid for more first-team action.
Speaking to readingfc.co.uk, manager Veljko Paunovic said: "Karl is an international goalkeeper with good temperament, obvious ability and the hunger to improve and impress. He is a welcome addition to our squad and will increase the strength of our team for our remaining fixtures this season."
Chief Executive Dayong Pang added: "We are delighted to be able to bring Karl to Reading. At the age of 19 he is an exciting prospect, but most importantly he has already shown himself to be a very capable goalkeeper at full international level and he will add quality to our squad in this crucial period."
Hein did turn out for the senior Arsenal team in a pre-season friendly defeat to Hibernian but has otherwise been restricted to youth appearances, keeping one clean sheet in six Premier League 2 appearances for the Under-23s this season.
The teenager is already a fully-fledged Estonia international and has made 12 appearances for his country, including four games in FIFA World Cup 2022 Qualifying.
Ben Knapton
