"So I’m interested to see what Mikel Arteta does with it and how he manages it because I’ve never seen it work before, really well." Following the decision to start Raya ahead of Ramsdale in the first game after the international break, reports this week have stated that the England international could be sold next summer if interested parties submit a proposal in the region of £60million.
Despite there being speculation over Ramsdale's future at the Emirates Stadium following Raya's arrival, Arteta has stood firm on his stance regarding the goalkeeper situation at the club. "For me, there is nothing different," Arteta said ahead of the Gunners' Champions League clash against PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday.
"We've been doing it for many years. When Bernd [Leno] was here we bought Aaron [Ramsdale].
"It's not something I would want to get into. Every player has different characteristics."Mikel Arteta has issued a defiant response to criticism aimed his way after starting David Raya ahead of Aaron Ramsdale for Arsenal's 1-0 win against Everton on Sunday. The Gunners boss has made it clear that he treats every position in the team the same and does not believe the signing of Raya will cause an issue in his squad.
Speaking after the win against Sean Dyche's side at Goodison Park, Arteta defended his decision by claiming he used the same rationale to start Raya ahead of Ramsdale as he did with playing Fabio Vieira over Kai Havertz. The Arsenal boss said: "The same rationale that Fabio played here or Eddie played instead of Gabriel Jesus.
"I haven’t had a single question on why Gabriel Jesus hasn’t started. He’s won more trophies than anyone, including me, in that dressing room, but they don’t.
"It’s something that has been historically done like this, but I cannot have two players like this in one position and not play them. David has tremendous qualities like Aaron has, like Karl has, but we have to use them you know.
"They have to play, regardless of the competition. We have to do it - this is my message."
Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville has been one of many pundits to speak on the goalkeeper situation at Arsenal this season - claiming he is 'not a fan' of Arteta's decision. Speaking to Sky Sports, Neville said: "I’ve said this before, I’m not a fan of competition for goalkeepers. I think you need a clear No.1 and then a clear No.2. That’s my view.
"Obviously, I’ve experienced it at United, where we had clear No.1s and No.2s and we've had in some situations two, sort of, equal keepers. The problem is, you end up with a situation every time a goalkeeper makes a mistake, which they inevitably do, where you say ‘Will they play the other guy the next week?’
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