Arteta sabotaging two Arsenal stars with next transfer, as expert warns of ‘insecurity’ being created

Arsenal signing David Raya to compete with Aaron Ramsdale for the number one jersey could seriously backfire, legendary Premier League goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel has warned.

After selling Matt Turner to Nottingham Forest, Arsenal have agreed to take Raya from Brentford. The deal will initially be a loan for £3m, that could become a permanent transfer for £27m. According to reports, Arsenal are planning for neither Ramsdale nor Raya to be their fixed number one, but for the pair to compete for the starting berth game by game.

It could be a risky strategy. On one hand, Mikel Arteta will have two proven options in goal that he can rely on. On the other hand, it could cause some uncertainty in one of the most important positions on the pitch.

And one of the best goalkeepers ever in the Premier League, ex-Man Utd star Schmeichel, has gone into detail on why Arteta’s strategy could jeopardise both Ramsdale and Raya.

“I absolutely do not get it,” Schmeichel told BBC Radio 5 Live.

“I cannot understand how a manager can come to the conclusion that it’s a great thing to have competition for the number one shirt.

“A goalkeeper’s position is very reactive. You cannot create anything on your own, you have to wait for things to happen.

“You’re now asking your goalkeeper to prove you’re better than the other one. That means you now have to go and do stuff, and you don’t want that. It’s the one position on the pitch where you just want steady.

“When you have a competition situation he also plays that game for himself and for that position, and I don’t get it.

“What you do is you put a lot of insecurity into the two of them.”

Arsenal rivalry to create ‘bad atmosphere’

“At the same time, having two challenging for number one, you’re also creating potentially a bad atmosphere in the dressing room because it’s a straight up competition between two guys who will either start or not play,” Schmeichel continued.

“They need to know if it goes wrong, which it does now and again, everyone makes a mistake and everyone costs a goal, that the manager says, ‘that’s alright, mate, you’re still my number one’. You need to have that confidence.

“If you don’t, you cannot perform 100 per cent for the team.”

Last season, Ramsdale and Raya were both ever-present in the Premier League for their respective clubs. Now, something is going to have to give as they aim to prove themselves against each other.

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