Gary Neville questions Mikel Arteta’s decision to sign two top goalkeepers at Arsenal
Gary Neville has once again questioned Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta’s decision to sign David Raya and says he has ‘never seen it work’ when a club have had two top-quality goalkeepers.
The north Londoners allowed Matt Turner to join Nottingham Forest earlier this month and the American’s departure opened up a slot for a new backup keeper. But rather than sign a clear number two to act as cover for Aaron Ramsdale, the Gunners brought in Brentford star Raya to compete for the number one jersey.
Neville not convinced by Arteta’s decision
Neville is not convinced that was a wise decision and feels the goalkeeper position is one area of the pitch where players need security rather than a team-mate breathing down their neck, suggesting it could cause issues down the line.
Asked if Raya’s arrival could ultimately become problematic for Arsenal, Neville said on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football: ‘Yes. 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.’
Neville went on to explain that having two top-level keepers can create an unstable atmosphere in the team, with both players feeling anxious that they could be dropped after making a mistake. He also suggested that it could be difficult for Arteta to manage the situation.
Arteta’s response to Neville’s comments
Before Arsenal’s 1-0 win over Crystal Palace, Neville asked Arteta if having two top keepers could be a problem, with both ‘knocking on his door’ to play, to which the Spaniard replied: ‘I don’t know – hopefully! If that’s the case then it’s good for the team.
‘We had a situation with Matt [Turner]. Matt had an offer, he wanted to go, he wanted to play and we had to replace him. So we wanted to replace him with the best possible option and the best out there was David and we’re really pleased to have him.’
Conclusion
Gary Neville is not convinced that Mikel Arteta’s decision to sign two top-level goalkeepers is a wise one and suggests it could cause issues down the line. Arteta has defended his decision, citing Matt Turner’s departure as the reason for bringing in David Raya. Only time will tell if this decision will pay off for Arsenal.