Foster slams "pathetic" Arsenal transfer and insists it "didn't need to happen"

29 August 2023 , 11:57

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Former Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster (Image: YouTube/Ben Foster - The Cycling GK)

Former Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster has branded Arsenal's decision to sign David Raya "pathetic".

Raya has joined Arsenal on an initial season-long loan from Brentford, with the Gunners paying a £3m loan fee and also having the option to make the move permanent for £27m. The Spaniard has been signed to provide competition for Aaron Ramsdale, with manager Mikel Arteta wanting "two players per position".

"He brings the qualities for our game model, it's very simple," Arteta explained. "We want two players per position. You see what happened to Jurrien [Timber] and that could happen to our goalkeeper.

"It recently happened to [Real Madrid's] Thibaut Courtois so we have to be prepared. We have to be prepared and we have to be proactive so now we have two excellent goalkeepers now who fit our style.

"I understand but there are always questions, when we had different goalkeepers there were questions as well. There is nothing wrong we have two great left wingers and two great strikers and two great holding midfielders and that’s not a problem so this shouldn't be a problem either."

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However, Foster "hates" the move and does not believe Raya is a signing Arsenal needed to make given Ramsdale's quality. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Foster said of the transfer: "I hate it, it's pathetic. It's something that didn't need to happen, right.

"They did not need to sign David Raya. He's [Ramsdale] been a top goalie for two years. He's on the edge of being England's number one with Jordan Pickford, he's right there. When he's full of confidence and he's got a manager putting his arm around him, he's as good as anybody in this country."

David Raya and Aaron Ramsdale are competing to be Arsenal's No 1 (Getty Images)

Ramsdale, however, seems unfazed by the idea of competing with Raya for the No 1 spot. "Bring it on," he told ITV. "Nothing comes easy in football. But also at the same time you need to move along and adapt as well.

"I've done it to other people when I've moved to clubs. I'm not going to be thinking that it's never going to happen to me. We'll fight and we'll make each other the best version of ourselves because that’s what the manager is telling us as well.

"The goalkeeping union, people will laugh at but it's a real thing, and your individual disappointment will go away and you'll put the team first and you'll put that goalkeeper first as well."

Matthew Cooper