Petr Cech’s transfer to Arsenal was met with as much relief as it was with jubilation. Despite Arsene Wenger’s recent show of ambition in the form of Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez, Gooners never quite got over their trust issues when it came to imminent transfers or supposedly done deals. However, the Czech Republican – who comes with a host of experience and accolades – would go a long way to refuel optimism and happiness within the Arsenal camp.
However, perhaps the only person unhappy with these course of events (aside from a ton of Chelsea fans, of course) is Wojciech Szczesny. The Polish shot stopper has recently been serving his sentence after being caught guilty of smoking in the showers after a poor showing. With Cech signed and ready to take the number one spot, it could be that his ultimate punishment has arrived.
The term that you cannot have too many world class players is a myth generated to rationalise a bulging and unbalanced squad. In reality, Arsene Wenger cannot legislate for having all three of Cech, Szczesny and David Ospina staying in the same club. Sooner rather than later, one of Szczesny or Ospina need to be shown the door.
Quite obviously, the likelihood of Szczesny leaving is higher than that of Ospina. Don’t let reports from Turkey fool you – the Colombian has not done anything catastrophic to warrant a quick sale, and it is quite unlike Wenger to cash in on a player this early. Even Gervinho had a couple of years before leaving.
In contrast, while Szczesny has produced a lot of fine moments and saves, his egoistical attitude (and sometimes vexatious father, too) may warrant grounds for transfer. After all, complacency has destroyed the greatest of talents.
Should Wenger decide to cash in on Szczesny, he would be wise to find a suitor not in the Premier League. Szczesny may be flawed, but he is nevertheless a prized talent on his day and one of the silver linings of Wenger’s ultimately failed youth project. Selling him to a Premier League club may be a decision that gives Arsene nightmares, as former FA Cup hero Lukasz Fabianski proved on his return to the Emirates with new club Swansea City.
However, one has to wonder if Wenger is considering a loan move for Wojciech. After all, West Ham were allowed to borrow Carl Jenkinson when Arsenal had surplus at right back to relative success. Perhaps, instead of making a hasty decision on his future, Wenger could procrastinate a bit on Szczesny’s Arsenal future. Who knows, after an impressive loan spell at Legia Warsaw, could Szczesny come back and force Ospina to leave the club?
Whatever stance the manager chooses to take, it is clear he has quite a delightful problem on his hands. With no offence to the latter trio, juggling between Cech, Szczesny and Ospina is light years better than between Manuel Almunia, Lukasz Fabianski and Vito Mannone. However, the course of action Arsene chooses to take will ultimately decide if he has made the best out of the flush hand he currently possesses.
Time will tell on this one.
