While Mikel Arteta didn’t want to talk about the player specifically in Arsenal’s pre match press conference yesterday, Thomas Frank had nothing to lose, confirming it’s a case of when and not if David Raya becomes a Gunner.
Arsenal have missed the deadline to register the Spaniard in time to be in our squad for this Saturday, but his manager feels ‘I expect the deal will be completed with Arsenal. He’s not here, he won’t be involved on Sunday.’
Personally, I’m relieved most sources are claiming our deal with Brentford will be a loan.
I’m comforted we then have an option to buy and not an obligation.
That seems to make more sense than investing 25-30 million to fix something that is not broken.
It’s zero reflection on Raya’s ability to be in goal for us, but based on comments I have read, many Gooners are fond of Ramsdale, like his personality, and don’t feel his body of work warrants being dropped.
While our manager’s intentions might be to create competition to get the best out his keepers, long term it seldom works.
As Peter Schmeichel has stressed this week, this is a specified role where who fills it needs to feel secure, have consistency and grows an understanding with the defence in front of him.
Even if you intend to rotate in the short term, eventually Arteta would have to pick between two goalies who are both too good to be on our bench.
So, you upset somebody.
Either you’re investing a large sum for a substitute (money that could be used on a striker), or you drop a player who doesn’t warrant it and would then move elsewhere and prove his ex-employers wrong.
A permanent transfer for Raya creates a headache when there doesn’t need to be one, and by agreeing to an initial loan, I think our manager has avoided over complicating matters.
While our fanbase can debate reasons why Ozil and Auba were paid to sit at home before having their contracts ripped up, it’s harder to defend why Ramsdale would be demoted.
Yes, he made a couple of mistakes in the title run in, but he also produced stunning saves at Anfield and Saint James Park.
They say most GK don’t hit their peak till they are past the age of 30.
So, it’s seemed harsh to buy a keeper in his early twenties, knowing he’s still learning, then judge him when he makes mistakes that are inevitable for a 25-year-old.
Based on his time in North London in its entirety, he’s been a success and to bench him could come back and bite his boss.
That’s why a loan suits all parties.
Arteta gets the competition he craves with Ramsdale fully aware he’s one error away from the baton being passed on to his equal.
It puts pressure on Raya to ensure he plays well enough to make the Emirates his permanent home.
Yet it shows Ramsdale the respect he deserves, letting him know if he maintains a certain level there might be no need to spend so much on a job he’s more than capable of.
Plus, if we don’t need to spend 30 million on a keeper then that’s money we can use elsewhere.
If we have another run-in where Ramsdale is passing the ball to the opposition or conceding goals at his near post, then we have a first-choice option to buy a decent replacement for a reasonable quote.
My gut feeling was I didn’t want us to purchase Raya. Not a reflection on his ability but I see zero reason to impact Ramsdale’s development. I see zero reason to unsettle him. So, the idea of a loan comforts me.
If an Eddie Nketiah and Reiss Nelson can be rewarded with pay rises of 100,000 pound a week for minimal contribution, then Ramsdale deserves more faith.
In Ramsdale we trust!
Dan Smith
CALLING ALL ARSENAL FANS!please contact us through this link…
I believe Arteta just wants to make sure that this season doen’t get ruined by some injury to the most vital players in the team, the way we lost Saliba last season. I think it’s a cautionary aquisition as Raya can play instead of Ramsdale without too much of a difference in the usual gameplan. I too think Arteta has full trust in Ramsdale.
💯% agree with you.
@Daulat, you just spoke my mind. Ramsdale remains our numero uno between the sticks, but we are going to be involved in 4 competitions and we need 2 Ramsdales (at a minimum) for this so that we at least try to win a trophy while not dropping below 2nd spot in the league (if we do not win it this time around) and Raya will more than fit the bill of being our “Ramsdale-No-2”.
I think you’re probably right, but it would have been more clear to me if we’d got a much older gk who obviously wasn’t going to be the future of the club but could be relied on to cover when needed – raya is too close in age to ramsdale and that’s what creates the concern imo. (also the fact we tried to sign raya before, indicating arteta is a fan)
What if raya manages to demonstrate that he’s clearly better than ramsdale? I’m not saying he is, but it’s possible his passing abilities will be more impressive, and I don’t think he’s a particularly worse gk in any other aspect. I think arteta would drop ramsdale for the big games (which is what they care about, really) if he felt that was the case – and he’d be right to do that because he has to put results first.
May be we are going into more mediocrity. We sold Martinez for leno and we sold leno for ramsdale. Arguably martinez might be the best of all. So Is it that we just need to freshen the squad by new players or we really need upgrade? In Ramsdale case dont seem upgrade, even in case of Tierney I dont think we have upgraded left back, slide in tierney performance might be upon lack of game time and lack of morale. Similarly have we upgraded zinko by timber? I still doubt. And finally have we upgraded white by playing partey in RB? Or have we upgraded rice in place of partey? I still doubt. Hope things will be sorted out soon so that we dont have to suffer again like last year.
deal is loan due to ffp rules, that’s why Brentford is offering new 4 years contract to raya be he sign for Arsenal. Arsenal will make it permanent next season
This is a very shallow piece of writing that’s meant to sow toxicity and mistrust against Arteta.
Every other position at Arsenal is competed for, some positions even have more than just two highly competent and confident candidates. That’s what squad depth refers to. Why does the goal keeping department have to be any different? Should we be faced with a dilemma each time Ramsdale is off-form, sick or suspended? Rediculous!!
Mohlanka am also wondering why we should have a below par player on the bench simply because a better player would threaten.
Mate ,.just step back and say that outloud
My advice to you is if it sounds like it doesn’t make sense , then it doesn’t
I work in health care , a stressful job
My articles have got me invited to film premieres and to write book reviews ( currently been sent manu script of Arteta new book )
We run a game that has like 80 players where give prizes out of my own money.
Yet I want toxicity .
You fail to say why .
You think I wake up, cackle and say how can I spread mistrust?
With respect , that’s so immature and naive
First of all , do you think what I write in my small house has any impact on Arteta all Arsenal ?
Second , if I wanted to spread toxicity wouldn’t I pick a better topic ?
Thirdly , is there zero chance I simply have not just wrote my opinion ?
Does that not make more sense ?
Plus I’m not only one who backs Ramsdale
Ex players have equally said it’s strange.
How wrong can you be! Total nonsense! I refer to your first sentence in particular, which is outrageous and plain WRONG!!!!!
FAR FROM BEING “SHALLOW”, Dan wrote pure logically based sense and almost all who posted agreed with him, unsurprisingly!
Rammy is just a kid, who can spoil every game in every singel moment. He loose his concentration from time to time (watch Community shield!) and do stupid things. Arsenal need a grown up between the sticks, that’s why Arteta hired Raya. The kid must grow up, and until he do we shall be happy that MA is a thinking person. Raya will be Arsenals no 1 for years to come.
It’s a decent deal
If Raya doesn’t meet the coaches’ expectations, we could send him back at the end of the season. Otherwise, we could sign a good homegrown GK who fits into Arteta’s tactics
The loan deal of Raya is a gentler introduction to Arsenal goal keeping, a straight buy of the Spaniard could have shaken the boat too severely.
Lol. But it is not a loan. It is a buy disguised I’m a loan to avoid FFP. Because the buy option I’ll be triggered easily it seems. Then, will the boat be shaken ???
This is a good move to have such a good player on our bench. It should happen in all positions in my view,like Saka too needs an equally good competitor in his position to give his a deserved breather without impacting on our results. It’s not only good for the team but to the players too.
Dans article could well have been written by myself. I would not have changed a single thing, TBH!
Raya is the better of the two, just look at the stats from last season, almost every aspect of his game was superior to that of Ramsdale’s but most important one being his passing ability and playing out from the back which is part nd parcel of how our squads set up nd how MA wants us to play. IMO Ramsdale is nowhere near a world class keeper ATM(maybe in the near future) but definitely not now nd would struggle to get into a City, United or Liverpool side. All in all compition for places can only be a positive for the team collectivly.
COYG
Has the gaffer really lost faith in his shopstopper? The clear answer is yes. No two ways about it.
Another way of seeing it – Ramsdale has been given a full year to clearly prove he deserves to be the No: 1, with Raya breathing down his back. Talk about pressure!
Seems like fair game to me. Ramsdale’s form was awful in the second half of last season and his pre-season form this year was far from impressive. He needs a serious challenge to get better and become more consistent.
May the best goalie win the No: 1 shirt. No disrespect to Rambo, but I’m betting on Raya.
The loss of Saliba to injury is not the cause of our failure last season. The team just didn’t turn up in those games we lost vital points. Nothing to do with Saliba
The Arsenal to always come first …….
And the best keeper of the two to stand between the sticks.
Raya!! Welcome to The Arsenal!!! Just waiting to get on permanently ….. and you got to earn it!!! Just that simple
Problem is he is over thinking. There was no need in this department while you were strenghting in your backline
Remember Arteta cost us Martinez…
If I was Ramsdale, I would put in a transfer request while he still has a chance to move.
Arteta will be hanging the sword of Damocles (or Raya in this case) over Ramsdale.
He will be looking over his shoulder during every match, and the pundits will be sharpening their knives every time he makes a mistake.
I see Ramsdale as a carefree spirit, and as such, not one to relish this situation.
I would support him if he left today!!!!