Posted by Peter Schmeichel, a former goalkeeper for Manchester United, has criticized Mikel Arteta, the manager of Arsenal, for choosing to sign David Raya from Brentford.
Raya is scheduled to have a medical with Arsenal on Thursday following the Premier League North London club’s earlier this week agreement to pay Brentford £30 million.
The Spaniard will sign a three million pound loan agreement with Arsenal, with the possibility of a £27 million permanent transfer.
While Arteta has already stated that he wants competition for positions in all aspects of his squad, including goalkeeping, Raya will now compete with Aaron Ramsdale for the position this season.
Schmeichel, though, worries that Arteta’s selection of two strong goalkeepers could lead to a “bad atmosphere” in the locker room.
Schmeichel said to BBC Radio 5 Live, “I absolutely do not get it.
“I don’t know how a manager could think that having competition for the number one jersey is a good thing.
“The position of a goalie is quite reactive. You must wait for things to happen; you cannot create anything on your own.
“You’re asking your goalkeeper to show that you’re superior to the other one now. You don’t want to have to go and do things now that you have to do them. On the pitch, there is only one spot where you want to be steady.
“He also plays that game for himself and for that position in a competitive setting, and I don’t get it.
You “do” this by instilling the two of them with a great deal of insecurity.
“At the same time, having two challenging for number one, you are also potentially creating a bad atmosphere in the dressing room because it is a straight up competition between two guys who will either start or not play,” he added.