"I’m not a fan of competition for goalkeepers": Gary Neville on Arsenal's signing decision
Aug 23, 2023
London [UK], August 23 : Former Manchester United player and football pundit Gary Neville has raised questions about Arsenal's decision to sign David Raya from Brentford this summer despite having Aaron Ramsdale.
Raya has been an integral cog in Brentford's machine for the past seasons. He featured in all 38 of their Premier League matches last season.
The 27-year-old keeper has 20 clean sheets to his name in 62 Premier League games, and he has made a total of 161 appearances in all competitions for the Bees and has two caps for Spain.
On the other hand, Aaron Ramsdale dethroned Bernd Leno to establish himself as the top keeper. Neville feels that the presence of two top keepers can create a difficult situation for the entire team.
"I’ve said this before, I’m not a fan of competition for goalkeepers. I think you need a clear number one and then a clear number two. That’s my view. Obviously, I’ve experienced it at United, where we had clear number ones and number twos and we’ve had in some situations two, sort of, equal keepers," Neville told Sky Sports.
"The problem is, you end up with a situation every time a goalkeeper makes a mistake, which they inevitably do, where you say ‘Will they play the other guy the next week?’ Once you do that once, you’ve undermined the situation and you’ve created what I think sometimes is a very difficult situation for everybody in the team. You haven’t got stability with your back four, both goalkeepers feel a little bit unnerved, a little bit anxious that if they make a mistake they’re out," Neville added.
Raya, who was the central figure for Brentford, has made it clear that he fits well in the system that the Gunners try to execute.
"The way the team plays out of the back, being confident and taking possession to the other team is the main thing why I fit into the team," Raya said to the club's official website.
It would be interesting to see how Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta tackles the possible competition between the two keepers.
