Half a dozen goalkeepers have made the matchday squad through Arsenal ‘s first dozen matches across all competitions this season.
David Raya has started all but one of those matches, with Jack Porter playing the only other in the League Cup third round against Bolton Wanderers. The 16-year-old also made the bench against Atalanta and Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, with Tommy Setford accompanying Neto for the Shakhtar Donetsk match instead.
The two summer signings have combined to make the squad ten times – seven for the Bournemouth loanee. He has been the primary backup for Raya since replacing Aaron Ramsdale – who warmed the bench twice – doing so for all but three matches, with those absences through eligibility issues.
Alexi Rojas is the sixth after joining Porter in the squad for that Bolton game, but the list highlights the issue of letting the club’s former number one leave without signing a permanent replacement. Three teenagers have deputised for Raya despite it appearing inevitable all summer that Ramsdale would move on.
That has only happened because Neto had either been cup-tied, signed too late or was ineligible to face his parent club. But it suggests the need for more planning regarding Ramsdale’s replacement.
However, that could be because the club are reportedly keen on Aston Villa’s Oliwier Zych. The Telegraph also credits Brighton and Hove Albion with an interest in the 20-year-old.
Despite recently being called up to the senior Poland squad, Zych is not a regular on the Villa bench, having featured just once for a league match this season. With the goalkeeper’s contract expiring at the end of this campaign, the prospect of a chance to backup Raya and play in the domestic cup competitions could appeal over staying in the West Midlands.
Agreeing a pre-contract before it ends would also mean that the player joins at the start of the summer transfer window, saving the deadline-day scramble that saw Neto arrive at the Emirates Stadium. The Gunners would have to pay Villa compensation, which a tribunal could set if they do not reach an agreement. Still, any fee would likely be better value than going out to sign someone under contract at another club.
