The signing of David Ospina was one of the least talked about Arsenal transfers of the summer, but I think that the capture of the Colombia international for around £3 million from the French club Nice was a very good pice of business from Arsene Wenger.
After all, the keeper is one of the most important positions in the team and Ospina showed at the World Cup that he was a real top quality player between the sticks, with great shot stopping and distribution and an excellent pair of hands when dealing with crosses.
The 26-year old is almost certain to start in the Capital One Cup against Southampton tonight and he has been telling Arsenal Player just how much he is looking forward to making his bow in front of the Emirates stadium crowd. The new stopper is expecting it to be a lively encounter as well and he knows that thge pace and intensity of football in England can often take players from overseas by surprise, so he has been working hard on certain parts of his game in order to cope.
Ospina said, “Every person I’ve had advice from remarks that English games have a lot of intensity.
“Games are very quick and direct. As a result, there are many set-pieces and the ball is crossing the air very frequently. I am trying to adapt to this style as soon as possible.
“I’ve been looking forward to playing since I arrived at the club. It’s really important to be patient, although it’s key as well to be ready to step up whenever the manager gives you a chance.
“It would definitely be more special [to make my debut at home]. If I made my first appearance in front of our crowd it would be a dream come true because the atmosphere at the Emirates is extraordinary.
“I would say that the club has a perfect football stadium. I’ve already been down there on the pitch [for first-team games]. In fact, that experience may help me understand how it would be like to defend Arsenal’s goal in the home games.”
Even though Wojciech Szczesny has been in good form so far this season, Ospina should give him a real challenge and, as we have seen, the Poland international needs that to push him and keep him on his toes. Let’s hope the new man has a good game and gets a clean sheet on his Arsenal debut…