Petr Cech's transfer to Arsenal is set to be confirmed before the weekend for a rumoured £10.9 million. The 33-year-old shot stopper is set to join the North London club after 11 years at Stamford Bridge. The Czech international won four Premier League titles and a Champions League winners medal. However the dilemma which now faces the club is the choice to let either David Ospina or Wojciech Szczesny leave the club. The former looks more likely as he has been recently linked with a £3 million move away to Fenerbahce, with the Polish 'keeper looking set to stay with the FA Cup winners. Is it fair to force the Colombian out?
Ospina's time at Arsenal
Ospina only arrived at Arsenal last year after an impressive World Cup. A £3million transfer from Nice last summer brought competition for Szczesny as the number as club number one. Ospina made 18 Premier League appearances last season after ousting Szczesny.
The Colombian made eight clean sheets in an impressive run of form after Szczesny’s miserable performance on New Year’s day. On average the Colombian only conceded 0.61 goals per game compared to Szczesny’s 1.24 per game last season. Szczesny matched Ospina in number of clean sheets kept though. However, Ospina has been criticised for his dealing with crosses and positioning most notable conceding a Gomis header against Swansea at the Emirates to win Swansea the game.
The argument for not letting Szczesny’s go is that he will be able to benefit from Cech’s experience. However the Pole is 25 and will eventually seek to play first team football with Cech being around at least another three years. The Polish shot-stopper is only one year younger than Ospina and currently holds the number one jersey at the club so will feel he will hold the position if Ospina leaves.
No matter who stays Cech will surely become first choice 'keeper with the Czech Republic international saving 88.9 per cent of the shots he faced over the course of last season compared to Ospina’s 80.7 per cent and Szczesny’s 67.2 per cent, although over a smaller number of games. Cech will add a calmness and assuring figure between the sticks previously missing from Arsenal line-ups.