Arsenal: 3 Reasons Mat Ryan is the Ideal January Transfer

Mathew Ryan’s Pedigree

There is a reason why Graham Potter chose to drop Mat Ryan this season: his form took a significant hit.

In his time with Brighton, the Aussie stopper performed well against his xG for two seasons, which then tailed off in the last season and a half. Sitting at -3.2 this term, the statistics don’t read too well, although the overall balance sees him over-perform at +1.3 (Fbref).

Now it is about finding consistency in his performances, as there is some trepidation about signing a goalkeeper who is, indeed, desperately out of form.

Ryan is a vastly experienced goalkeeper, though. Over 100 outings in the Premier League, over 380 in total and having featured in two World Cups, he comes with good pedigree.

While he hasn’t been at the usual standard expected in the past 12 months, he drew admirers from across the division when almost single-handedly keeping the Seagulls in the Premier League upon their return to the top-flight. A fine shot-stopper and good with his feet, his time in a Brighton side who are built around a possession-based style that begins from the goalkeeper puts him in good stead to slot into his new surroundings.

Aside from ability, there is no language barrier, the love he has for his boyhood club is undeniable, there will be no significant bedding in period and no major relocation. With the options available, there were no better candidates.