Kepa Arrizabalaga and the delicate, complex task of being a backup goalkeeper

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The idea of Arsenal signing Kepa Arrizabalaga this summer might raise a few eyebrows, and understandably so. This is a goalkeeper who once commanded a world-record transfer fee. But there should be no confusion: if the move goes through, Arrizabalaga would be joining Arsenal as a clear backup. David Raya remains the undisputed No 1.

That might seem like an odd career move for a player of his pedigree who recently started rebuilding his reputation with a strong season at Bournemouth and was solid in his final year at Chelsea. But it only seems that way if you underestimate what it takes to fill one of the most difficult and sensitive roles in football, especially at one of the top clubs in England.

So, what exactly does a team need to think about when recruiting a backup goalkeeper?

It is a job that demands humility, ambition and an extraordinary level of mental discipline. Get the signing wrong, either in the recruitment or the messaging, and it can cause more harm than good. But when you get it right, it can be one of the most quietly impactful signings a club makes.

The ultimate goal is to create a healthy dynamic that is competitive but collaborative. You want the starter to feel just enough pressure to stay sharp, but not so much that it drives a wedge between him and the No 2. You want the backup to improve the level in training and challenge and push the No 1 every day, but also accept that the job, most of the time, is to support from the bench.

It is a balancing act. Managed well, both goalkeepers can thrive. Managed poorly, you risk unsettling your most crucial position on the pitch.

Being a backup goalkeeper is a difficult and generally thankless job. You go into work every day and train just as hard as the starting ‘keeper, prepare for the weekend’s match as if you were the one playing and then, come matchday, you are watching from the bench.

While you can rotate outfielders and move them around to find minutes, you cannot do that with your ‘keeper. Only one can play at a time, and if the No 1 stays fit and is in form, it can be weeks, sometimes months, before the No 2 gets a competitive minute.

Then, when you do get your chance, the expectation is that you perform at the same high level as if you had been playing week in, week out — a tall task when so much of goalkeeping comes down to rhythm, game feel and moments that simply cannot be replicated in training.

Staying sharp with consistent game time is hard enough. Staying sharp with no games at all? That is another level of difficulty entirely, and not one that just anyone can do well.

When you play well, there is a sense that everyone just expected it. But if you struggle, there are questions about your sharpness, your reliability, your mentality. Everything is questioned and it can sometimes feel like a no-win situation.

That is why clarity and communication are essential. Healthy competition is vital, but so is constant dialogue from the club — the manager, the goalkeeper coach, the sporting director — which can be even more important. Everyone needs to be on the same page.

The role of the backup ‘keeper might be the most complex and emotionally demanding in a squad. It requires absolute professionalism, real psychological resilience and the ability to walk the tightrope. Support the starter, push him every day, but never undermine him. If the lines are blurred, if the expectations are not spelt out early, it breeds tension.

We have seen it before. And when the player’s perception of their role does not match the club’s, it rarely ends well. Keeping an unhappy backup around is a risk. Discontent can spread fast.

Arsenal know all about this process, of course. When Aaron Ramsdale arrived in 2021 to compete with Bernd Leno, the Englishman was initially seen as the backup but Ramsdale quickly became No 1, leaving Leno frustrated and ultimately heading for the exit.

Then, just two years later, history repeated itself in a different way: Ramsdale, firmly established as the starter, suddenly found himself displaced by Raya. The lack of clarity around that transition clearly affected both players and created a season-long subplot the club would have preferred to avoid.

David Raya usurped Aaron Ramsdale as Arsenal’s No 1 in 2023-24 (Photo by Glyn Kirk/AFP via Getty Images)

Newcastle United may be about to face a similar situation. They would like to bring in James Trafford from Burnley, a 22-year-old with international ambitions. But they already have an established No 1 in Nick Pope, so head coach Eddie Howe will need to manage that situation carefully if that transfer does go through.

During my career as a goalkeeper, I lived both sides of this dynamic. The most successful experiences I had were always the ones where the expectations were made clear.

When I joined Helsingborgs in 2015, I was told my job was to support the starter, push him in training and stay ready. If I was good enough, I’d play — but the starter was the guy. I accepted that challenge and embraced the role, and it led to both of us having one of our best seasons. The starter raised his game, I stayed sharp, and when I got my chance, which coincidentally happened quite a lot that season, I was ready. That is what a healthy goalkeeper dynamic looks like.

But I’ve also experienced the opposite. I’ve been in squads where two ‘keepers of similar ability were constantly rotated, where no one had clarity and both of us ended up playing below our level. The uncertainty ate away at our confidence. We second-guessed everything, and the whole team suffered. That season, we were relegated.

Goalkeepers need confidence more than players in almost any other position. When they have it, they play free, with instinct and clarity. When they don’t, everything becomes forced and uncomfortable. The rest of the team can feel it. That’s why having clear roles, strong communication and mutual respect is non-negotiable.

This is why transparency from Arsenal will be absolutely essential if Arrizabalaga joins, and they’ll need to get the messaging right from day one. He has to know exactly what is expected, how his minutes might come, what the environment will be and how his role fits into the bigger picture. No grey areas. No promises either.

As a manager, promises (especially about playing time) are dangerous. They are often tempted, especially when a deal is close, to offer some reassurance. But telling a player they are going to play is one of the worst things you can do.

If that promise is not fulfilled, the trust between player and coach is broken. Players stop believing their performances in training matter. Why push yourself if the pecking order is fixed?

Manchester United managed to strike that balance brilliantly during Sergio Romero’s time at the club. Romero was good enough to start for several Premier League clubs when he arrived, but he understood and embraced his role behind David de Gea. He supported him, pushed him in training and performed well when called upon — to the tune of 39 clean sheets in 61 games. De Gea, meanwhile, won the club’s player of the year award three times during their six years together.

Romero was the blueprint. Experienced, capable, professional and selfless. Zero ego. United never needed to worry about dressing-room tension. They had a backup who understood his job, respected the hierarchy and raised standards simply by being there.

That is the kind of setup Arsenal may be trying to replicate with Arrizabalaga and Raya.

Raya is manager Mikel Arteta’s guy. That much has been made clear. Arrizabalaga would not be walking in to compete for the starting job. Not yet, anyway. But if Raya struggles for form, that door opens and Arrizabalaga will have to be ready for his chance.

Raya was the joint winner of the Premier League Golden Glove award for 2024-25, having also earned that accolade in 2023-24 (Jacques Feeney/Offside via Getty Images)

In many ways, it is a role that suits him.

At Bournemouth in 2024-25, Arrizabalaga took a meaningful step forward, playing with more confidence and control than we had seen in his last few seasons at Chelsea. His final campaign at Stamford Bridge also hinted at a ‘keeper starting to settle again, no longer burdened by the weight of the price tag, just focused on the job.

He may not be the same player who arrived in England with sky-high expectations, but he is a different kind of valuable player now — someone who has been the No 1 at club and international level, taken the hits, bounced back and matured. That kind of experience is gold in a backup.

Different profiles can fit this role. Sometimes it’s a young ‘keeper trying to learn and grow, waiting for their chance. Sometimes it’s an older, seasoned veteran acting as a mentor. But more often than not, the perfect No 2 is someone in that middle ground: good enough to play, self-aware enough to wait.

Moves like this do not make headlines the way big-money signings do. But they matter and that is exactly why this could be such a smart bit of business from Arsenal.

(Top photo: Visionhaus/Getty Images)

This news was originally published on this post .

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