Steve Round was against Arsenal signing one player in the weeks leading up to his departure from the Emirates, believing that it would unsettle the squad.
For the second year running, Arsenal have come incredibly close to winning the Premier League title, with the Gunners only missing out on the final day this time around.
Mikel Arteta’s men have definitely made a further step in the right direction this season; surely vindicating the large majority of the signings the club have made over the last couple of years.
One of those who has definitely proved a point has been David Raya, with the Spaniard taking home the Golden Glove for the most clean sheets in his first season at the Emirates.
It was certainly contentious for Arsenal to sign the 28-year-old on loan in a deal which could eventually cost £30 million should the Gunners make his move permanent.
Steve Round didn’t want Arsenal to sign David Raya
Aaron Ramsdale had been the number one for much of his time at the Emirates, and had only recently signed a new contract as the previous summer transfer window arrived.
Few would have imagined that Arsenal would have wanted to target a new goalkeeper, but the Gunners did decide to go after Raya.
However, not everyone was happy with the decision, with The Athletic reporting that Steve Round was against the idea of Arsenal signing Raya due to how it may unsettle the squad.
Round would leave the Emirates the month before Raya was indeed signed, and The Athletic reports that the difference in opinion did play a part in him leaving.
Arsenal have three goalkeepers on radar as Aaron Ramsdale edges towards exit
While it is hard to be critical of Raya’s first year at Arsenal, you do have to question whether it was still the right decision to sign him, particularly as Ramsdale had already established himself as one of the best in the Premier League.
Obviously, Arsenal signed Raya on loan which suggests that there was not a lot of money to spend, but perhaps there may have been better options out there for what they needed.
Arsenal are now facing a dilemma over their second choice goalkeeper. Ramsdale looks increasingly likely to join Newcastle this summer, and thus, a new number two may be needed.
Arsenal are interested in Wojciech Szczesny, Jason Steele and Anthony Patterson should Ramsdale leave, so it seems unlikely that there will be anything like the same debate surrounding the number one position next year.
But the signing of Raya shows that you can hardly rule anything out when it comes to Arteta.