Are Arsenal pivoting to Bournemouth goalkeeper Neto this deadline day?
Throughout the entirety of last campaign, Arsenal were blessed with two excellent goalkeeping options – David Raya and Aaron Ramsdale who both deserved to start for the club. However, Mikel Arteta clearly prioritized the Spanish shot-stopper.
It was a bit harsh on Ramsdale who had a spectacular previous season for the Gunners, making some outrageous saves. However, the Englishman’s form tapered off towards the end of the season, much like Arsenal’s.
Ramsdale also came out and revealed that he had problems concentrating throughout the 90 minutes of a game. Last season, he was afforded a couple of chances against Brentford but did not cover himself in glory or do much otherwise to convince Arteta to give him a chance.
On the other hand, Raya continued to grow from strength to strength. After a shaky start to life at the Emirates, the ex-Brentford keeper slowly came into his own, impressing with both his distribution and reflexes.
With the ball at his feet, Raya is one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League if not the best. For very long, this tag belonged to Ederson of Man City but a case can be made that the Arsenal shot-stopper has surpassed the Brazilian in this regard.
Thus, when Ramsdale left the club this summer to join Southampton on a permanent transfer, Edu & co. were left in a bit of a fix to try and find a backup keeper who could cover for Raya.
Joan Garcia is complicated
Arsenal’s preferred option to replace Ramsdale in the squad is Joan Garcia of Espanyol. Mikel Arteta wants to bring another Spanish goalie to the Emirates but unfortunately for him, the La Liga club are making negotiations difficult and not willing to budge from the release clause.
This has prompted the Gunners to look elsewhere and they have identified a move for Bournemouth goalie Neto. The Brazilian shot-stopper has had a journeyman career having played for clubs like Valencia and Barcelona in the past.
This goalkeeper merry-go-round that is going on in the Premier League saw Kepa move to the Cherries from Chelsea on loan for the season. This has prompted the club to let Neto leave, also on a simple loan deal to Arsenal.
Neto set to become Arsenal’s Backup Goalkeeper
Neto is undergoing his medicals at the Emirates and is ready to sign his contract to become Arsenal’s backup goalkeeper. The Brazilian is experienced and knows what to do. One can’t expect him to see many minutes this season other than the cups.
One good thing with Neto is that his experience can also help David Raya mature. The Brazilian is an expert penalty saver and can part some of that wisdom to his Spanish counterpart.
Neto is a low risk, impressive deal for Arsenal to pull off. He is exactly the kind of backup keeper the club needs right now and is a better option than the inexperienced Joan Garcia. Let’s hope the Gunners can make this deal happen imminently.
