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Should Arsenal sell David Ospina in January?

ByFinn Laister-Smith|

Just a year after being brought to the Emirates, Colombian goalkeeper David Ospina finds himself on the fringes of the Arsenal squad.

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He became first-choice goalie for Arsenal after he capitalized on Wojciech Szczesny’s continuous mistakes. Wenger has a track record of giving each of his players a chance, and Ospina earned his place in the Arsenal side.

Petr Cech has been brought in from Chelsea to replace the under-performing Szczesny. Ospina has now been assigned as permanent second-choice in net. Cech has started every game so far for the Gunners. After a shaky start, he has proven himself as world class.

There could be a first start for Ospina in the Capital One Cup match against Spurs on the 23rd of September. However, the fact that it is the first North London derby of the year raises its importance, and thus the Czech giant may get the start.

Where Does Ospina Fit Into The Picture?

There are Champions League clashes that the Colombian shot-stopper could get the start in. That is if Arsenal find themselves in a great position going into the home stretch of the group stage.

If they are somehow already qualified by the time they face Dinamo Zagreb at home on match day 5, Wenger could rotate his squad against a weaker opponent and use Ospina in net. The Olympiakos match in Athens on match day 6 is a much more difficult game though, and Cech will certainly be playing in that match.

There are Capital One Cup and FA Cup matches in the future where there is theoretically room for Ospina. If Arsenal get past Spurs in round 3, their next match could be against a lower league side. Any lower league opponents are great opportunities for rotation, and thus Wenger would give the 28-year old a chance.

Playing Ospina in a game like that is low-risk due to the fact that his shot stopping ability is his best attribute. If Arsenal are playing against a team that struggles to break them down, the chances of Ospina making a costly communication mistake are far lower.

Ospina is far too good of a goalkeeper to be content with being a backup. Similar to Cech’s situation prior to his move away from Stamford Bridge, Ospina was a first choice player before his team added a better replacement.

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Before the Colombian joined the Arsenal team, he was first choice for his country, as well as a star member of an over-performing OGC Nice team. Nice finished in fourth in Ligue 1 and boasted one of the best defensive records in the league that year. Ospina was a key member.

There is no doubt that over time, he will end up walking into Arsene Wenger’s office and asking him for first team football. Because of Cech’s quality, whether or not he should get it is a different story. But there are two possible futures in this situation.

Ospina could make his way back into the first team, and most likely share minutes with Cech. Since Cech is 33, eventually Ospina will assume the starting role if he waits his turn. However, that could be a long wait if Cech gets better with age, so the 28-year-old would be at least 32 when that transition happens.

What seems more likely is that the Colombian will put in a transfer request sooner or later. He has a good track record so far as a goalie, and thus will command a transfer fee of multiple million pounds. If Arsenal want to cash in on him and install a younger keeper as Cech’s understudy, the moment to sell would be the January window.

Next: Is Alexis Destined to be Arsenal's No. 9?

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