Mikel Arteta must be decisive and make a move for one reported Arsenal target in the upcoming summer transfer window.
Arsenal will have a goalkeeper problem to address this summer.
Mikel Arteta will have to make a decision on how to rebuild his contingent of net-minders.
Arsenal are expected to sign two goalkeepers this summer. One of those deals is already all but done. The North London club are set to shell out £27 million to sign David Raya on a permanent basis.
Sealing a deal for the Brentford loanee is only one part of the problem though. A back-up option for the Spanish shot-stopper will also need to sourced, as Aaron Ramsdale is almost certain to leave Arsenal at the end of this season.
The 25-year-old lost his starting berth to Raya early on in the current campaign and now needs to move on in order to get his career back on track. Current third-choice ‘keeper Karl Hein is not yet ready to make the step up to being Raya’s understudy, so signing a new No. 2 is a must.
Woijciech Szczesny has been linked with a shock return to Arsenal. However, Brighton and Hove Albion man Jason Steele ought to be at the top of Arteta’s shopping list for this vacancy.
Why Arsenal must replace Aaron Ramsdale with Jason Steele
Arsenal are known to hold an interest in Steele, and the 33-year-old is an ideal fit for the Gunners.
For a start, he is well-suited to Arteta’s preferred style of play. He excels with the ball at his feet, so will be comfortable when it comes to playing out from the back, as the Gunners generally do when looking to construct attacks.
He has also proven himself at Premier League level, having made 31 appearances in the competition since the start of last season. 16 of those outings have come in the current campaign as Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi has taken on a rotational policy with his goalkeepers, regularly switching between Steele and Bart Verbruggen.
De Zerbi has previously described Steele as a “very important” player. However, the fact that Steele isn’t a nailed-on starter at the Amex Stadium may make him easier to prise away from the south coast club. His £20,000-a-week wages also shouldn’t pose a problem in what ought to be a cost-effective deal for the Gunners to strike.
Arsenal can reunite David Raya and Jason Steele
Steele also has a pre-existing relationship with Raya, as the pair shared a dressing room when they were both on the books at Blackburn Rovers. It is vital that the goalkeepers at a club can be supportive of one another and it seems likely that this duo would have no issues in this regard.
Steele may be hesitant to make a move to the Emirates Stadium, where he will certainly be a second-choice option. However, if that obstacle can be overcome, then Arsenal would land themselves a reliable cover option for Raya who would be able to step up and shine in Arteta’s team whenever called upon.