Why Roma Loan Move Could Make Sense for Wojciech Szczesny and Arsenal
When Petr Cech signed for Arsenal from Chelsea, it seemed his arrival would cost David Ospina his place with the club. However, if the latest stories are to believed, it is Wojciech Szczesny who could be heading for the exit.
If Szczesny is to leave Arsenal, it should only be on loan: There remains huge long-term upside to the prickly Pole.
Sources at ESPN FC have confirmed Roma have begun talks to sign Szczesny on loan. For the Italians, the deal makes perfect sense. With veteran goalkeepers such as Bogdan Lobont and Morgan de Sanctis on their books, Roma need a youthful candidate to come in and take over the No. 1 spot. Szczesny would represent an outstanding short-term solution—and they will hope he could be convinced to stay in the longer term.
It’s a little bit surprising Szczesny could be on the verge of departure. A matter of days ago, it appeared as though it would be Ospina who would make way for Cech, with the Colombia international linked with a move to Everton by Joe Strange of the MailOnline.
However, it seems something has changed in the intervening days. It started with Szczesny following a number of Roma players on Instagram and has developed into a fully fledged transfer rumour. One can only assume the developments have come as a consequence of conversations Arsene Wenger has held with both goalkeepers about their futures. If Ospina is going to stay, he must have indicated a willingness to stay and fight it out with Cech.
That would tally with recent comments he reportedly made, relayed by the Liverpool Echo:
"Next season we’ll have next to an excellent keeper in Cech, who is recognised and admired, and I’d be honoured to share with him, he’s a player with great experience. You learn every day, and in this position we stop learning when we retire.
"
At the time, those were dismissed as platitudinous soundbites, but it seems there may have been real substance to Ospina’s words.
So what of Szczesny? Initially, it seemed as if Wenger was keen to keep him around, in part because of his potential but also because he’s an academy product and a good deal of time has already been invested in his development.
However, perhaps the Arsenal boss has decided Szczesny would benefit from some time away from the club. Having been at Arsenal for almost his entire career, there’s the possibility being cosseted may have allowed him to become complacent. New surroundings could force Szczesny to produce his best form, and regular football would certainly help him make the best of his natural ability.
For his part, Szczesny ought to be inspired by the story of the man who superseded Cech at Chelsea. Thibaut Courtois was sent out on loan repeatedly by the Stamford Bridge club, and at times it appeared he would never wrest the No. 1 shirt from Cech. However, his form during his temporary spell with Atletico Madrid was so good Chelsea ultimately had little choice but to put their faith in the younger man.
Szczesny is older than Courtois, but he should have a similar ambition. His spell at Roma could effectively be a prolonged audition for a chance to succeed Cech. If he moves to Serie A, he’ll certainly get more regular chances to impress—and Arsenal’s scouts, and Wenger, will be watching.
James McNicholas is Bleacher Report's lead Arsenal correspondent and is following the club from a London base throughout 2015/16. Follow him on Twitter here.
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