This time last year Arsenal had gone all out in a bid to topple Manchester City from the top of the Premier League foodchain.
Kai Havertz was signed from Chelsea for a £65m fee, Jurrien Timber walked through the door after transferring from Ajax and there was the small matter of £105m being spent on England international Declan Rice.
Things have been rather less dramatic this time around. Edu has added Riccardo Calafiori to Mikel Arteta’s ranks and Mikel Merino is on the verge of signing too.
Further acquisitions have arrived but it’s been slower in 2024, probably because of the European Championships and Copa America. This squad, despite its need for additions, is in a pretty fine place though.
A winger could still arrive but there might also be a late swoop for a goalkeeper if Aaron Ramsdale departs.
Arsenal’s potential Ramsdale replacements
Arsenal have added young stopped Tommy Setford to their ranks over the summer. He was included in the pre-season tour to America and although not named among the subs on Saturday against Wolves, was among the travelling party to gain experience of a matchday.
Being an understudy to David Raya is likely too soon, which explains links to Espanyol’s Joan Garcia who has emerged as an option in recent weeks.
Another contender could be a rather surprising one, Wojciech Szczesny. The Pole left the Gunners behind for Juventus back in 2017 but exited this summer and is available on a free transfer.
Reports have emerged saying that the goalkeeper could return to north London this summer, although Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth – speaking to GIVEMESPORT – admits it would be a shock.
He said: “It’s an interesting one. It would surprise me if he was to come back, but funny things have happened. It’s whether Szczesny, as well, would be satisfied to come back and be a deputy and not be a number one.”
Why Szczesny left Arsenal
Homegrown Szczesny, who first signed for Arsenal back in 2006 as a teenager, had a great love affair with the club.
From those videos singing about his hatred of Tottenham to an alleged bust-up with Arsene Wenger, he was rather affectionately held in high regard by supporters who loved his down-to-earth nature.
Once said to be “world-class” by the great Wenger, it was the Frenchman who brought an end to his time at the Emirates Stadium following an altercation in 2015.
On New Year’s Day, the Gunners lost 2-0 and it was a pair of Szczensy errors that saw Arsenal concede. Then caught smoking in the showers after the game, he was fined £20,000 by the club.
How Szczesny has performed since leaving Arsenal
After leaving England behind the Poland international established himself as one of the best stoppers on the continent.
At Juve, he kept 103 clean sheets in 252 matches. He featured in 37 Champions League games and would win three Serie A titles, as well as three Italian Cups. It’s safe to say he was starring for one of the best sides in European football.
From a quality point of view, here’s how he compares to current Arsenal number 1, Raya, the Spaniard who dislodged Ramsdale early on last season.
From the graphs above (via FBRef), which compare Raya and Szczesny against goalkeepers in Europe’s top five leagues over the last year, we get a nice indicator of their best qualities.
In Europe, the current Arsenal man is up there with the best on the continent when it comes to stopping crosses, ranking within the top 1% for that metric.
The 34-year-old’s save percentage is also a great deal better and interestingly, his PSxG is far more impressive.
Post-shot expected goals (PSxG) is a metric used to determine how likely a goalkeeper is to save a shot.
So, it all sounds pretty promising as far as a number two goalkeeper is concerned, doesn’t it? Combine his qualities with the fact he’s available on a free transfer and it would be a no-brainer should £30m Ramsdale eventually depart.
