While transfer rumours fly around and fans wait with anticipation to see players sign for Arsenal, one of the key aspects rarely seen is the medical tests taking place right before a deal is announced.
The process is often the last thing required before a player signs on the dotted line to become an Arsenal player.
With the Arsenal medical team working hard in the background to ensure all the correct checks are in place before a deal is confirmed, there is a certain mystique to what really happens in a medical.
With plenty of important tests going on at London Colney, here’s a look at everything you need to know about a transfer medical.
What is a football medical?
A medical is often the word used to describe a series of tests conducted by the medical department at a football club to spot any potential problems or future issues for incoming transfer targets.
It is often one of the very last things to happen before a deal goes through, often creating some tension if the move falls through at this stage.
These medical tests are often used to help protect both the club and the player in the event of any irregularities appearing.
For the incoming transfer target, it could flag any potential cardiovascular problems, along with any other issues that may be a health risk in the future.
For clubs, it offers them protection against any previously unknown issues before they invest heavily in them.
What tests are used in a football medical?
There is no guaranteed way that a football club will set out their medical, with each department having their own way of doing things.
There are rough areas that the tests are expected to cover, though, which will detail any potential problems.
Those are:
- Cardiovascular tests
- General health tests
- Body fat tests
- Musculoskeletal stability tests
- Isokinetic tests
- Scanning of the muscles and joints
- Sprint test
Can you fail a medical and still make a transfer to a club?
Yes, players can fail a medical and still make the transfer switch to the club that they go on to join.
This will usually be down to the discretion of the player and the club, once the information is known, who will have to take on the risks of whatever ended up causing the failed medical.
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Arsenal players who have failed medicals
Arsenal signed Kim Kallstrom in 2014, despite the fact that he failed a medical through having a fractured vertebra.
He joined late in the transfer window from Spartak Moscow on loan, going on to make only a handful of appearances under Arsene Wenger.
Part of that was due to being injured for the first month of that spell, but his failed medical didn’t stop a move going through.
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