Arsenal are in the market for a goalkeeper, as fan favourite Aaron Ramsdale will now depart after losing his starting spot.
Mikel Arteta caused controversy, both in the media as well as his own backroom staff, when he chose to sign David Raya to replace Ramsdale as Arsenal’s first-choice goalkeeper.
Raya has since justified the decision after a shaky start, and will be the number one option going into next season.
Ramsdale has been linked with Newcastle, and should he leave, he would need replacing.
Arsenal have now been linked with Feyenoord goalkeeper Justin Bijlow. The 26-year-old is seen as a target who can challenge Raya for the number one spot as Ramsdale’s replacement, and with two years left on his deal, Arteta may feel he represents good value as his £20m asking price may drop lower.
Bijlow has been a strong performer for his side, but Arteta may have been aware of him for a while after a hilarious moment attracted a lot of attention over a year ago.
Arsenal target Justin Bijlow produced hilarious moment in Feyenoord draw
Bijlow showed he was capable of the dark arts during a 1-1 draw with FC Twente in January 2023. With his side leading in the first half, Twente then found themselves with a good opportunity as winger Virgil Misidjan raced through to chase a through-ball.
The Feyenoord keeper was quick off his line and out of the box to intercept the ball, but the moment of hilarity came when the winger tried to take a quick throw-in whilst Bijlow was outside of his box.
Bijlow then saw one of the spare balls on the touchline, and threw it back into play, much to Misidjan’s frustration. The home crowd were furious, and Bijlow received a yellow card, but he had successfully prevented a huge chance in what was both poor sportsmanship, but incredibly quick thinking.
Justin Bijlow quick thinking shows why he’s perfect hybrid of David Raya and Aaron Ramsdale
Although the act of throwing a ball onto the pitch should perhaps not be encouraged, this moment showed why Bijlow could be the perfect Ramsdale replacement and Raya competition.
Ramsdale has developed a reputation for enjoying winding up opposition players and fans, and fully immersing himself into the hostile atmospheres of away games.
An act like this, which wound up the opposition immediately, comes straight out of Ramsdale’s playbook, and Bijlow showed he could replace his character in this regard.
Raya has also been chosen by Arteta for his aggressive positioning and speed, as he prevents chances before they can even be fired on his goal.
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Bijlow here showed great speed off his line and perfect timing, as he initially closed down the loose ball superbly and won the ball without committing a foul, and perhaps this is what stuck out to Arsenal when viewing this moment as part of his scouting.