Arsenal are strongly linked with the sales of both Wojciech Szczesny and David Ospina this summer, but who should replace them?
The Gunners played out last season with Petr Cech as our main goalkeeper, and with the Colombian used as backup, as well as in the Champions League and a majority of cup competitions. We also had Emiliano Martinez in the squad as the third option.
Ospina is believed to be heading for the exit door this summer, with former Chelsea and Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri looking to bring him back to France with Nantes. The 28 year-old is believed to be keen on earning regular playing time as he looks to cement his place in his international side for next summer’s World Cup competition.
Wojciech Szczesny is also believed to be close to agreeing a move, having spent the past two seasons impressing in Italy. The Polish international is being eyed by Italian giants Juventus, who are on the look-out for a long-term replacement for Gianluigi Buffon, and are said to have agreed personal terms with the shot-stopper, while a fee is yet to be agreed with his club as of yet.
Both exits would leave us with Martinez and Petr Cech available only, and we would no doubt need to bring in another goalkeeper, but what level of player should we be looking at?
The former Chelsea goalkeeper put in a number of questionable performances last season, and there were calls from fans for him to be dropped in favour of the departing Colombian. It is yet to be seen whether we will be eyeing a replacement for him as number one, but I would love to see him challenged for the first-team spot.
Gianluigi Donnarumma would be the ideal signing, but he looks likely to complete a switch to Real Madrid, but the idea of signing a top young talent who could challenge Cech for the first-team role before usurping him in the near future would be ideal. Emilio Martinez looks like he could well grow into a Premier League level goalkeeper in the future, but unfortunately I don’t think he is trusted as our second-choice option, let alone first.
Do Arsenal need more goalkeepers with Ospina and Szczesny going? Is Martinez ready to make that step-up? Does Cech need to be replaced or challenged?
Pat J