A new number two goalkeeper is on Arsenal’s list of transfer priorities heading into the summer.
The Gunners are eager to find a dependable back-up to David Raya, with Neto set to return to Bournemouth following his loan spell in N5.
Joan Garcia has been identified as Arsenal’s first-choice target to fulfil this role, as Mikel Arteta has been impressed with the Spaniard’s performances over the course of this season in La Liga.
However, Aston Villa are now in the race to sign Garcia as a replacement for the departing Emi Martinez, meaning the North London outfit may be forced to look further afield.
Arsenal shouldn’t sign Joan Garcia this summer
Arsenal have a lot to do in the transfer window this summer.
The Gunners need to add a striker, a winger, a central midfielder and a defender to Arteta’s squad, as well as sourcing a deputy for Raya.
Resources aren’t unlimited, and Arsenal will subsequently need to be diligent with the way in which they allocate them.
While some reports suggest Arsenal can sign Garcia for just £12 million, others indicate that Espanyol will hold out for his release clause, which is worth a purported £25 million.
Allocating £25 million to signing a back-up goalkeeper in any case isn’t smart, but when you also need to make several other acquisitions in the same window, it’s a particularly egregious use of resources.
Garcia may be one of the hottest goalkeeping talents on the market, but Arsenal have Raya at their disposal and need to invest money in other areas.
Even if the Emirates hierarchy can convince the 23-year-old to swap Barcelona for North London, rather than joining a club that will give him the number one shirt, they ought to steer clear of this deal.
Arsenal should re-sign Wojciech Szczesny
Arsenal need to spend as little as possible on their number two, and there’s a potential free agent on the market that they should be exploring.
Wojciech Szczesny is currently at Barcelona, but he was only signed by the Catalan giants until the end of the season, and could be available for nothing this summer.
The Pole reportedly has a two-year extension on the table from the La Liga side, but he’s yet to make a decision on his future.
Szczesny is a self-proclaimed avid Arsenal fan, and the Gunners should leverage this fandom to secure his services over Barcelona.
The shot-stopper is in the twilight of his career and may be attracted by the romantic aspect of returning to the club he supports, playing out his final season before retiring permanently at the Emirates.
Showing with some of his Champions League performances this campaign that he’s still at the requisite level, he’s good enough to fill in for Raya when needed in domestic cup competitions and he’d be happy to be at Arsenal.
Lukasz Fabianski described Szczesny as ‘unbelievable’ earlier this month, speaking to the player’s quality.
Highly thought of Tommy Setford has just been promoted to Arteta’s first team, and the signing of Szczesny would allow the young English keeper to develop further for a year before replacing the veteran next summer.
It’s a no-brainer for Andrea Berta and Arteta.
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