Ever since the retirement of Jens Lehmann, Arsenal have had mediocre goalkeepers as their Number 1 and 2. From 2008 onwards Arsene Wenger placed his trust in Manuel Almunia, who was prone to costly errors on a number of occasions. When he was injured, Lukas Fabianski was the replacement and he was an even greater liability than the Spaniard. The 2010-11 season was the beginning of the end for Almunia’s Arsenal career where he only started 14 games and the starting position was handed to 20 year old Wojciech Szczesny. His most outstanding performance being the 2-1 home tie against Barcelona. Ever since then, Wenger has made it clear that he wishes to keep Szczesny as his number 1 for many years to come.
This season he has shown that he deserves to take Arsenal forward, making several breathtaking saves which prevented a loss of points. But Wenger must learn from his mistakes and not expect Szczesny to be fit for an entire season. He must plan for the possibility of an injury and also resting him in a couple games. With the departure of FA Cup hero Fabianski, Arsenal’s current Number 2 keeper would be Damian Martinez. The 21 year old Argentinean featured in the thrilling 7-5 victory over Reading in the Capital one cup in 2012 but proved to be very raw costing Arsenal two goals.
Arsene Wenger cannot rely on such a young talent to be ready to perform in a high profile Premier League or Champions League game if Szczesny were to be injured or suspended. Wenger must bring in an experienced but not necessarily a veteran goalkeeper. The perfect age would be between 28-33 as they would be in their prime years as a goalkeeper. Last season we were heavily linked with Julio Cesar, but Wenger turned him down as he trusted Fabianski as the Number 2, and his trust paid off tremendously. This season differs to the last as we don’t have a goalkeeper who knows the club as well as Fabianski. If Wenger were to bring in Cesar this transfer window, I doubt any Arsenal fan would dispute it. Purely because of the fact that the Brazilian still possesses the quality he had during Inter Milan’s treble winning season. He is still Brazil’s Number 1 at the World Cup and at the tender age of 34, he can offer a formidable service for the club during the cup games.
There is no need to break the bank for a goalkeeper, and there are plenty of cheap talented players who are good enough to be the main keeper. Wenger’s criteria should be a goalkeeper who won’t cost much and could be our Number 1 if Szczesny weren’t at the club. The World Cup has proven to be a showcase for goalkeepers on offer. Two perfect options for the club are Mexico’s Guillermo Ochoa and Colombia’s David Ospina. Both players are free agents and have vast experience in the French League. Arsenal have been linked to Ospina before as he is only 25 and proven his worth for both club and country. Ochoa has attracted a lot of attention for his heroic efforts in the World Cup and Arsenal seem to be amongst those interested.
Every position should have a worthy replacement and the goalkeeping position is no different. If I were asked which of the three keepers I’ve mentioned would be the likeliest to join the club I would have to say David Ospina. The Colombian has 177 appearances for Nice, which is more than Almunia had for Arsenal even though we were in four competitions. Ospina can put pressure on Szczesny to be at his best and allow Wenger to rotate more often knowing that both keepers are talented professionals.