Arsenal: David Ospina Has To Want More Than Champions League

David Ospina has done an admiral job as Arsenal’s deputy keeper and has been first choice in the European matches this season. However, will only Champions league appearances satisfy a player who yearns for regular first team action?

There is no disputing that Petr Cech is Arsenal’s first choice goalkeeper. The Czech Cech (see what I did there) oozes class and is in the top bracket of goalkeepers in Europe. When John Terry said Cech would save Arsenal 12-15 points a season, he wasn’t kidding.

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Petr’s place in the Arsenal side is never really under threat primarily due to the fact that his performance levels rarely drop. However, every top side in the modern game requires a second choice of high quality. David Ospina is that and more.

Having arrived at Arsenal as Szczesny’s back-up, he wrestled the position from the Pole and had a solid start to his Arsenal career. Yet, Cech’s signing two summers ago saw a return to the bench for Ospina.

While, as I already stated, top clubs require intense competition for places, it can create dilemmas. It looked like Ospina was set to leave the club over the summer after a season of few appearances. However, Wenger offered him the role of Champions League starting keeper and the Colombian decided to stay put.

While a howler against Olympiakos in last season’s Champions League opener cost Ospina a place in the side then, the start of this campaign has been quite the opposite. Arsenal started their Champions League campaign with a tricky away tie against PSG. Ospina played a starring role and was probably the main reason why Arsenal managed to scrape a point from the game (Cavani’s misses aside,. of course).

Wenger has always claimed that the Colombian is of world class quality but the Arsenal fans now had more evidence to believe him. Ospina’s solid performances in the following two European ties (where he kept 2 clean sheets) has helped justify Wenger’s decision to field the Columbian. Yet will sporadic starts in Europe appease a goalkeeper of genuine quality like Ospina?

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There is no doubt in my mind that Ospina would start in most Premier League and European sides. It is a danger that at 28, he will be looking to spend his peak years playing regular football away from the Emirates. Cech is not exactly a fresh young face. Yet it’s unlikely Ospina will want to play the waiting game for many seasons to come. Petr may still have three more good seasons left in him. So the Colombian could be on the move sooner rather than later.

It is remotely possible that Ospina is satisfied with selection only in the Champions League. But somehow, the he doesn’t strike me as the type who enjoys part-time involvement. Even if Ospina does wait for Cech to lose relevance, there is no guarantee that he will take the starting spot when that happens. With Szczesny and a host of young prospects waiting in the wings. David could find himself as second choice for more seasons than he hoped for.

With a history of erratic keepers at the club (Almunia, Fabianski and Szczesny to name a few), it is actually a blessing we have such quality in the goalkeeping department that someone like Ospina is on the bench.

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So what do you think Gooners? Will Ospina seek pastures anew? Or will Champions League appearances be enough to keep the Columbian at the club? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.