"Too difficult of a position to keep the team spirit up" - Ex-PL star calls out Arsenal for signing 27-year-old star

Former Premier League star Brad Friedel has criticized Arsenal for signing Brentford goalkeeper David Raya. The American believes the Gunners should not reinforce that position given that they already have a clear No.1 in Aaron Ramsdale.

Friedel said on talkSPORT:

"Two No.1's, can they exist at the club? No, they can't. One wants to play. The guy that doesn't play, Matt Turner, he's just there sat on the bench for a whole year. Should never really have signed for Arsenal in the first place in my opinion. Because he's good enough to play somewhere. But he sat a whole season. You soon get frustrated."

Citing the only circumstance in which such an arrangement would work for Arsenal, he added:

"The only time it works is if your other goalkeeper who could be a No.1 is really young and he's learning and he's coming up. Or in my case, I was really old and I was on the way down. I was 42 years old when I was dropped. I played my whole career. So then it can work."

The former Liverpool goalkeeper further stated:

"Say Raya comes in, he gets his chance, he plays well, and then he gets taken out. He's upset. Let's say he goes in and plays well and he keeps his position, Ramsdale is upset. It's too difficult of a position to keep team spirit."

Apart from Raya's loan deal, Arsenal have also signed Declan Rice, Kai Havertz, and Jurrien Timber this summer. The Gunners have spent north of £235 million, including a club-record fee for the former West Ham United skipper.

With Raya's arrival at the Emirates, it remains to be seen who will be Mikel Arteta's first-choice player between the sticks for the 2023/24 campaign.

"Then you have an issue" - Brad Friedel further slams Arsenal for signing a goalkeeper

Friedel praised Raya for his abilities between the sticks, claiming that the Spanish shot-stopper has the potential to be No.1 at multiple Premier League outfits.

The American insists that Arsenal will not be able to handle having two top-level goalkeepers in their squad.

Friedel said:

"What I know is that Raya is a Premier League goalkeeper who is good enough to be No.1 at a host of clubs. And any goalkeeper that I've ever met that has the ability to be No.1 when they are No.2, for one month, okay, two months, okay. When it gets past the third month, you're frustrated, you want to play. And then you start contacting your agent for moves elsewhere and loan moves and things of that nature."

He added:

"And if you're Mikel Arteta, and let's say Raya is the No.2, and when he comes in and he's signing the paperwork, 'Yep I'm gonna be a team player', and then the sixth, seventh month he starts getting frustrated and all of a sudden he's not a team player. Then you have an issue."

Ramsdale and Raya played extremely crucial roles for their respective clubs during the 2022/23 campaign.

The England international played all 38 of Arsenal's Premier League encounters last term, recording 14 clean sheets. He was part of a side that were engaged in a heated title race against Manchester City.

The Spanish shot-stopper played every one of Brentford's league matches as well last season, maintaining 12 clean sheets.