The Gunners have an excellent goalkeeper in Petr Cech but with the ex-Chelsea stopper already 35, his time at the club may be coming to an end. It would be wise for Arsenal to bring in a replacement now and allow him time to settle in with Cech around to oversee a smooth transition beneath the crossbars.
In light of the above fact, it is now being reported that Arsenal are considering a move for Real Madrid goalkeeper Keylor Navas.
The Costa Rican custodian has been an integral part of Zinedine Zidane’s two-time Champions League winning team. However, as is always the case with Real, there is something more needed than just good performances to become a hero at Santiago Bernabeu.
The first and foremost problem Real have with Navas is the fact that he is turning 31 this year and does not have a long career ahead of him. This has prompted the Spanish capital outfit to look for other options despite Navas being in terrific form in goal.
The second situation at the Bernabeu is that Real have actively chased Manchester United’s David De Gea and have been linked with Chelsea’s Thibaut Courtois. The reason for this is because the two keepers are young and have time on their side on top of the fact that they are the best in the world in what they do.
The third and final reason for Real to not follow up with Navas is because the Costa Rican lacks the superstar factor needed to thrive at Real Madrid. The players in Real are not just professionals but celebrities followed by the world. The likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, Marcelo, Toni Kroos, Isco and company have set a certain “Galactico” standard in terms of their celebrity like life style, something Navas has been unable to do.
Despite some excellent performances in the white jersey that has seen Navas keep 38 clean sheets in 109 matches and produce some heroic saves to give Madrid two European trophies, he might be on the move. For a player of his calibre and his position, 31 is not a very big number. He still has a good five to six years of football left in him and it would be a good piece of business from Arsenal to snap up the Costa Rican as he can add some much-needed stability at the back.
The only factor this would complicate is the career of David Ospina, who would be yet again left at Arsenal as a back up to Navas and that might not sit well with the Colombian, prompting him to seek a career elsewhere.
