Courtesy of Sportsvibe.co.uk
Arsenal is in need of some big changes this year, and the January transfer window will be one of their best opportunities to make them.
One of the biggest transfer rumors that the Gunners have been linked to recently is a possible signing of Birmingham goalkeeper Jack Butland. In order to acquire the 19-year-old, Arsenal would be expected to fork up around £6 million, and that’s a price too steep for a backup keeper.
If Arsene Wenger and his Gunners were to pay the bid for Butland, the youngster would immediately be expected to push Wojciech Szczesny for the first-team keeper spot. That, however, seems like a lofty goal considering how raw and inexperienced Butland is.
If it weren’t for the Olympics, Butland likely wouldn’t be on any significant EPL team’s wish list. He doesn’t have any Premier League experience, and is in no way prepared for the increased level of competition that he would encounter with Arsenal.
The only positive to signing Butland would be the push that Szczesny would feel from the new keeper’s presence. The veteran hasn’t been playing up to his potential as of late, and Arsenal needs to see some improvement from him if he hopes to keep his spot on the roster safe. Still, he hasn’t played poorly enough to warrant being replaced by an inexperienced player such as Butland. Szczesny’s overall play will need to improve, though, if he wants to maintain his positioning atop the Gunners’ keeper pecking order.
At this point in his young career, Butland needs some more considerable experience before he’s ready to step up to the big leagues. Even if Arsenal did acquire him from Birmingham, he’d end up sitting on the bench and wasting away whatever money Wenger spent on him.
It’s not a smart move for the Gunners. Give Butland a few years to mature with Birmingham, and then give them a call.
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