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ARSENAL BOSS MIKEL ARTETA HAS HAD TO MAKE PLENTY OF BIG CALLS DURING HIS TIME AT THE HELM BUT HIS DECISION TO CHANGE GOALKEEPERS BACK IN 2023 HAS BEEN SINGLED OUT BY JAMIE CARRAGHER 06:00,

22 May 2025Updated 06:00, 22 May 2025 Mikel Arteta has been lauded by Jamie Carragher for having the courage to replace Aaron Ramsdale with David Raya following another stellar season for

the Arsenal goalkeeper. More than a few eyebrows were raised when Raya, 29, was signed on loan from Brentford in the summer of 2023 to compete with Ramsdale, who was viewed as the

Gunners' undisputed first-choice keeper. But the Spaniard promptly leapfrogged Ramsdale in the pecking order and has gone from strength to strength in an Arsenal shirt. With Raya

establishing himself both as a colossal figure in Arsenal's rear guard and one of the Premier League's top goalkeepers, the furore over Arteta's controversial decision has

mostly been forgotten. But Carragher has referenced Arteta's call after considering Raya for his team of the season, saying it was one of the 'best decisions' the Arsenal

manager has ever made. READ MORE: Roy Keane points finger at Mo Salah as he accuses Liverpool of 'lacking class'READ MORE: New Arsenal chief Andrea Berta gets green light to seal

£25m transfer for top target "I picked Alisson as the best goalkeeper in the Premier League this season but I was very close to picking David Raya," Carragher said on The Overlap.

"Alisson had that performance against PSG and that was one of the best we’ve seen from a goalkeeper so maybe that stuck in my head. But Raya probably had five or six world-class saves

this season. There was one against Aston Villa and Ollie Watkins but it was that long ago that it feels like last season. "That was one of the best decisions Mikel Arteta made, it was

brave because Aaron Ramsdale was a bit of a fans’ favourite but Arsenal were never going to win anything big with him in goal. _JOIN THE DEBATE! DO YOU AGREE WITH CARRAGHER'S VERDICT?

LET US KNOW HERE_ "They haven’t done that with Raya yet either by the way but it was a good decision." While Raya has established himself as the club's No.1 with Ramsdale

since moving on, Arteta is keen to acquire more competition for the Spain international ahead of the 2025-26 campaign with Espanyol's Joan Garcia once again on his radar. Arsenal

pursued a deal for the 24-year-old last summer in their search for a Ramsdale replacement. But they will try for his signature again in the upcoming transfer window with the star now likely

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