ARSENAL goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez has joined the Royals on loan until the end of this season.

The Argentine stopper, 26, completed his medical this morning in time to join his new teammates in training at Hogwood Park.

Manager José Gomes said, “I am delighted we have been able to attract a goalkeeper of Emi’s undoubted ability to Reading. He will provide excellent competition for the goalkeeper’s position and adds quality to our group. I look forward to working with him on the training ground for the first time today.”

Martínez first arrived at the Emirates in August 2010 from Argentinean side Independiente but his debut in England came on the final day of the 2011-12 season when, following an emergency loan to the Kassam Stadium, he started for Oxford United in a League Two encounter against Port Vale.

Drafted into the Gunners squad at the start of the following season, he made his Arsenal debut in a 6-1 Capital One Cup win over Coventry City - Olivier Giroud, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Andrei Arshavin and Theo Walcott on target for the hosts that evening.

A loan spell with Sheffield Wednesday earned Martínez regular football at Championship level in 2013-14, before he returned to the Emirates the following season to play Champions League football for the Gunners in a victory over Anderlecht.

His Premier League bow came as a second-half substitute for the injured Wojciech Szczęsny against Manchester United and, in the absence of both Szczęsny and David Ospina, Martínez continued between the posts to keep a clean sheet against Borussia Dortmund the following week.

He kept clean sheets in his first two Premier League starts as well - helping Arsene Wenger’s men beat West Bromwich Albion and Southampton.

The latter part of the 2014-15 campaign was spent on loan to Rotherham United in the Championship before he embarked upon a season-long loan spell with Wolverhampton Wanderers.

More first team experience at Arsenal followed in 2016 with clean sheets and wins in the Carabao Cup against Nottingham Forest and Reading - his second cup win over the Royals in fact - before starting in a 3-0 Premier League win over West Ham towards the end of that season.

After another loan stint spent in Spain with Getafe, Emiliano has featured in Unai Emery’s squad on a number of occasions this season - but his sole appearance came in a 1-0 Europa League win over FK Qarabag last month.

Now Martínez, who will take squad number 26, will fight for the gloves at Madejski Stadium until the end of the 2018-19 campaign.

Chief Executive Nigel Howe added, “Emiliano is another talented player who has agreed to spend time away from one of the top teams in the Premier League in search of valuable first team football. He has Championship experience and he is up for the fight. I look forward to him challenging for the goalkeeper’s jersey as a Royal.”