Having squandered the opportunity to play in the Champions League next season, Arsenal have perhaps underachieved in what was Unai Emery’s first season in charge of the club.
The 4-1 loss at the hands of Chelsea in the Europa League final was much more than a humiliating defeat, and there is no denying that Emery has to add more strength to his team to move forward.
One of the key areas of concern for the Spaniard is the goalkeeping position. While Petr Cech has decided to hang up his boots, David Ospina is keen to secure a permanent move to Napoli according to a report by TEAMtalk.
Cech had an unhappy end to his career following his side’s loss against the Blues. Meanwhile, Emery doesn’t see Ospina as a long-term solution for the goalkeeping role and the Colombian is expected to leave.
Interestingly, the Mirror have claimed that the North London outfit are keeping close tabs on Inter Milan’s shot-stopper Ionut Radu as a back-up for first-choice custodian Bernd Leno.
Radu’s agent has apparently claimed that Arsenal are interested to lure him to the Emirates Stadium this summer. However, the English giants are expected to face stiff competition from Ligue 1 outfit Lyon in the process.
Player Profile – Ionut Radu
Radu emerged through the youth ranks of Inter Milan and despite the fact that he hasn’t been able to garner more than an appearance for the Black and Blues, he has accumulated successful loan spells with Italian outfits Avellino and Genoa.
The 22-year-old custodian made 33 appearances for Genoa in Serie A and mustered 3.2 saves per game on an average and 6 clean sheets.
Radu – A good second choice?
Cech was Leno’s deputy in the previous campaign, and it would be absurd to say that Radu would offer similar attributes and assurances as the ever-reliable Cech. However, Radu has had decent outings last season and it is about time for him to take a leap forward.
Leno has had his moments of madness in an Arsenal shirt, so Emery needs to add a back-up who can possibly provide competition for the German international.
The Romanian is far from being a finished product and will take a bit of time to get used to English football, which tends to be a bit more physical than other leagues,
Arsenal have had issues in the goalkeeping department for years now, and Leno seems like he could improve with time as he has already shown signs that he is a top ‘keeper.
Radu did do an excellent job for Genoa, and helped them stay in the Italian top-flight. The Gunners need to add a good backup who can push Leno, and considering Radu featured regularly for Genoa in the Serie A and has the top-flight experience, he would be a decent addition to the team.
Statistics Credits: Whoscored