When Arsenal signed Petr Cech from Chelsea, he was a fantastic addition to the squad. Wenger had signed an experienced winner and a top class player. Arsenal had struggled with goalkeepers for a number of years and Cech was expected to be the solution to Arsenal’s worries. A year and a half later however, this no longer seems to be the case.
Cech’s first season at Arsenal was a strong campaign by the 34 year old, but there were a few signs of concern. This year however, those warning signs have developed into real issues that are evidenced by plenty of fans. It would be wrong to state that Cech’s ‘past it’ and I would disagree that he is no longer a goalkeeper of little value to Arsenal. However there are pressing concerns that perhaps Cech isn’t performing as expected, and if things don’t change for the better, then the former Czech Republic man could find himself losing his spot at Arsenal.
A number of keepers have been linked with the Gunners, including Leverkusen goalkeeper Leno, Sunderland’s Jordan Pickford and Stoke’s Jack Butland. I must admit I am a big fan of all three, particularly Jack Butland. Butland is in my opinion England’s future number one and although he has struggled with injuries all season, signing Butland would certainly be a real investment for the club. Butland would learn a lot from Cech and I’m confident the Englishman could hold down the number one spot at Arsenal for at least a decade.
Jordan Pickford is in the same position as Butland and I think he too would be a good addition for the Gunners, if Arsenal hold any interest that is. Rumours suggested today that Everton are rivalling the Gunners in their interest for Pickford, but surely out of the two clubs, Arsenal are in the better position. Pickford is showing real class at a struggling Sunderland side and I think it would be interesting to see how he performs at a top team.
Bayer Leverkusen’s, Bernd Leno, would also be a decent addition and he is highly regarded as one of a few promising young goalkeepers. However, as has been shown through Karius’ move to Liverpool, a promising young keeper from the German league may not always hit it big in a challenging Premier League.
If Arsenal hold an interest in any of these rumoured keepers, I think it’s very important that they seriously consider whether Cech has a future as Arsenal’s number one.
AH