Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has had to make some bold decisions during his five years at the club, plenty of which have surrounded transfer signings and exits.
The Spaniard has been ruthless when it comes to the Arsenal squad, such as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s exit, among many others.
While the Gunners have certainly been more settled than those turbulent early years under Mikel Arteta, there have still been some bold decisions at Arsenal when required.
That includes one which the Arsenal boss himself has branded as “unpopular”, but it has worked out for the best.
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Mikel Arteta claims David Raya transfer to Arsenal was “unpopular”
Among the bold decisions Arteta has made at Arsenal has been the change of goalkeeper in the 2023/24 season.
The Gunners made the surprise move to land David Raya on an initial £3 million loan fee, with a permanent option worth an additional £27 million.
That was despite the fact that Aaron Ramsdale was the clear and undisputed number one goalkeeper at the time.
Arteta came under fire for the signing of Raya, with both he and Ramsdale getting off to a shaky start to life at the Emirates Stadium together.
After a while, though, the Spaniard settled into his role as first-choice, which saw Ramsdale leave to join Southampton last summer.
While Raya has since been a standout option for Arsenal, Arteta delved into the deal and what has made it successful.
He told the press, before his side’s clash with Southampton: “We made the decision with that intention, and at the time it was a very unpopular one.
“We have to feel our gut and be very analytical to take the team to a different level. Everyone around the club, our supporters, with how David [Raya] has been performing at the highest level.”
During a difficult campaign for Arsenal, Raya has stood out as one of the key players behind a push back to the top.
While it hasn’t ended in silverware, the shot-stopper can certainly be proud of how his performances have kept the Gunners in the top two.
David Raya has repaid the faith put in him by Mikel Arteta
It’s fair to say that, given the position Arsenal were in, it would’ve been easy for Arteta to stick with Ramsdale in goal.
The England international played well in his spell at the Emirates Stadium, helping to transform the way that the Gunners played out from the back.
Some errors did creep in, which may be where Arsenal felt they could get an upgrade by landing Raya instead.
The Spaniard has certainly repaid that faith put in such a risky move to replace a popular figure between the sticks.
With Raya closing in on the golden glove heading into the final weekend of the Premier League season, he has certainly made that “unpopular” move much more popular.
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