Manchester United legend, Peter Schmeichel has criticised Arsenal manager, Mikel Arteta’s decision to sign Brentford goalkeeper, David Raya for the Gunners.
Raya is due to undergo a medical with Arsenal on Thursday after Premier League North London club agreed a £30million deal with Brentford earlier this week.
The Spaniard will join Arsenal on an initial loan deal worth £3million, while Arsenal have the option to make the move permanent next summer for £27million.
Raya will now compete with Aaron Ramsdale to become Arsenal’s first-choice goalkeeper this season, while Arteta has already made it clear that he wants competition for places in all areas of his squad including the goalkeeping department.
But Schmeichel believes Arteta’s decision to have two strong goalkeepers in his squad could create a ‘bad atmosphere’ in the dressing room.
“I absolutely do not get it,” Schmeichel told BBC Radio 5 Live.
“I cannot understand how a manager can come to the conclusion that it is a great thing to have competition for the number one shirt.
“A goalkeeper’s position is very reactive. You cannot create anything on your own, you have to wait for things to happen.
“You are now asking your goalkeeper to prove you are better than the other one. That means you now have to go and do stuff, and you don’t want that. It is the one position on the pitch where you just want steady.
“When you have a competition situation he also plays that game for himself and for that position, and I don’t get it.
“What you do is you put a lot of insecurity into the two of them.
“At the same time, having two challenging for number one, you are also creating potentially a bad atmosphere in the dressing room because it is a straight up competition between two guys who will either start or not play,” he said.
