Peter Schmeichel hits out at Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta over decision to sign David Raya on loan from Brentford
- David Raya will join Arsenal on loan with an option to option next summer
- Raya moves for an initial £3m loan fee with option to make it permanent for £27m
- Peter Schmeichel has been left perplexed by the move due to Aaron Ramsdale
Former Manchester United No 1 Peter Schmeichel has accused Mikel Arteta of jeopardising the confidence of his No 1 goalkeeper with the signing of David Raya on loan from Brentford.
Brentford have agreed to let Raya join Arsenal on an initial £3million loan with the option to buy set at £27m.
Despite Aaron Ramsdale’s stellar performances between the sticks, it is thought that Mikel Arteta is keen for the England international to have sterner competition.
But Schmeichel is at a loss at the move, with the Dane adamant that it will only bring greater insecurity, rather than greater competition, between the players.
‘I absolutely do not get it,’ Schmeichel told BBC Radio 5 Live.
Arsenal No 1 Aaron Ramsdale (right) will face stiff competition from David Raya (left) after the Gunners agreed a loan deal with a £27million option to buy with Brentford
Mikel Arteta has targeted Raya in a bid to put sterner competition on Ramsdale in goal
‘I cannot understand how a manager can come to the conclusion that it’s a great thing to have competition for the No 1 shirt.
‘A goalkeeper’s position is very reactive. You cannot create anything on your own, you have to wait for things to happen.
‘You’re now asking your goalkeeper to prove you’re better than the other one. That means you now have to go and do stuff, and you don’t want that. It’s the one position on the pitch where you just want steady.
‘When you have a competition situation he also plays that game for himself and for that position, and I don’t get it.
‘What you do is you put a lot of insecurity into the two of them.’
Schmeichel added: ‘At the same time, having two challenging for number one, you’re also creating potentially a bad atmosphere in the dressing room because it’s a straight up competition between two guys who will either start or not play.
‘They need to know if it goes wrong, which it does now and again, everyone makes a mistake and everyone costs a goal, that the manager says, “that’s alright, mate, you’re still my number one”. You need to have that confidence. If you don’t, you cannot perform 100 per cent for the team.’
More to follow.
