David Ospina has hinted that he could be leaving Arsenal in the summer.
No one’s quite sure how or why Ospina is at Arsenal. The 29-year-old was tipped to join FC Nantes or Fenerbahce last summer after he more or less said as much, but the goalkeeper’s wages were reportedly too high and the move fell through.
Now it seems as if the blunder-prone shot-stopper is angling for a move again.
“I am open to everything. Today I give everything for Arsenal, I like to be successful here, but you start to contemplate every alternative depending on each situation,” Ospina said after the City defeat, reports Goal.
“I still have a contract, but as I say, I always like to have more opportunities, to have more continuity in the squad as every goalkeeper needs.
“Today, I am sharing my position with an excellent goalkeeper in Petr, but he knows that I like to play and I know he likes to keep playing, we have this competition between us, I just like to have continuity, I will think about the future at another moment.
“Today I live day by day, I don’t like to say anything about the future but i will make the most of every each training session and every moment at Arsenal.
“The manager has his reasons for deciding who does or does not get to play..Our position as goalkeepers is a very complicated one because you have less opportunities, in the team there is just one player who plays in that role, and who gets the support. I always try to do my best.
“Mistakes can happen but those mistakes (that the goalkeeper makes) are more visible to everybody, but I keep working, making the most of every opportunity that I have.
“When I speak to Wenger he always tells me that he trusts me. I will keep demonstrating my skills each time I get to play, in every training session, and I will keep waiting for my opportunity that I have been waiting for, and I will make the most of it, as I did in my first year at Arsenal.
“As I always say; for me to be part of Arsenal was and is a dream come true. When I used to think about it, it seemed so far away. I was able to materialise it and that’s why I like to do my best, to be outstanding at Arsenal.”
Ospina wants more playing time. Unhappy with his 13 appearances this season and helping Arsenal to their 3-0 defeat against Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final, the goalkeeper wants to be no.1, which he’ll never be at Arsenal, no matter how many penalties Petr Cech lets in.
Arsenal goalkeeper David Ospina completed more passes (39) than Aaron Ramsey, Jack Wilshere & Mesut Özil today. [@jamesbenge] #afc pic.twitter.com/EjCn7p3MCF
— afcstuff (@afcstuff) February 25, 2018
Ospina’s contract runs out at the end of next season and the idea that Arsenal would want to tie him down to a new deal is laughable. Although so are a lot of things these days.
The Colombia international’s comments come just two weeks after Stoke’s Jack Butland was linked with a move to Arsenal by the Mirror. Presumably in order to replace Petr Cech, whose contract runs out at the same time as Ospina’s.
The 24-year-old hit out at reports that he had asked to leave the Potters on social media but didn’t actually deny wanting a move.
The Englishman could allegedly set Arsenal – or Liverpool – back £40m if he does decide he wants to a fresh start.