Arsenal: Why £3 million for David Ospina is absolutely fine

Arsenal are reportedly nearing a £3 million sale of David Ospina. That may not sound like a significant fee, but it is still a deal worth completing. Here’s why.

One thing that has separated Arsenal from their Premier League rivals in recent years has been their consistent inability to sell players for good fees. Over the past five years, perhaps the only two players to be sold for a reasonable price were Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Theo Walcott. That is not good a record to have.

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Contrast that to Liverpool who have leached Bournemouth alone out of £34 million for two mildly talented but utterly unproven players. Or Chelsea selling Eden Hazard for the best part of £150 million this summer. The Gunners do not sell well.

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This summer, one name who is seemingly destined to be sold is David Ospina. The goalkeeper has been on loan at Napoli for a year and is unwanted by Unai Emery at the club with Bernd Leno taking the number one spot and Emiliano Martinez set to be the reserve. Ospina would not play, and he is at the stage of his career where rotting on the bench is not an acceptable possibility.

According to reports, the club is closing in on a sale for Ospina, the Colombian shot-stopping nearing a return to Napoli, this time on a permanent basis. There was a £4 million clause in the loan deal, but Ospina did not play enough games to activate it — more accurately, he was not allowed to play enough games to activate it. Napoli still want to sign him, though, and are in talks over a £3 million deal in the coming days.

Now, £3 million for an international-calibre goalkeeper may not sound like very much. And really, it isn’t. Ospina is not a world-class goalkeeper, but in the right conditions, he could fetch a £10-15 million. So £3 million is most certainly a deal on the cheap. But actually, given the situation Arsenal find themselves in, it is not all bad.

Ospina is currently earning £40,000 a week. For a third-choice goalkeeper, that is problematic. It is an even bigger issue when you consider the wage trouble that the club is dealing with. Every little helps in this department. Saving £40,000-a-week is nothing to be scoffed at. Furthermore, Ospina’s contract will expire next summer. He can — and will — walk for nothing. So by selling him this summer, Arsenal can actually save £5.08 million, a £3 million transfer fee and £2.08 million in a year’s wages.

The value that you receive in keeping him does not come close to £5.08 million. How much would you pay for a year’s worth of a decent but inconsistent and vulnerable to a mistake third-choice goalkeeper? I’d be surprised if it is £5 million.

So yes, £3 million may not sound like very much for Ospina, but given the situation that Arsenal find themselves in, it is probably the best they can do. It is not perfect, of course, but is absolutely fine, for now.