Real Madrid Transfer Rumors & News 2015: Iker Casillas Set on Arsenal?
Real Madrid wants David De Gea.
That much has been clear for weeks on end with rumors of the team talking to the player. Moreover, rumors of De Gea turning down offers from current club Manchester United have only added fuel to that fire.
But they have a problem -- there's two more years left on Iker Casillas' contract. However, that problem also looks like it will be solved soon enough as Arsenal is apparently in talks to take on the legendary keeper.
For Madrid, this is great. But for Arsenal, it is a strange decision.
Wojciech Szczesny's career with the club seems at an end with Colombian goalie David Ospina taking the mantle as the Number One keeper.
Obviously, Wenger would want a reliable backup with the Pole looking for a starting gig. But why bring in Casillas if you already have Ospina?
Casillas would likely only come if his future as a starter were assured. But then that would imply benching Ospina who has done nothing if not play a major role in this team's turnaround.
Moreover, Casillas is a goalie who relies on reflexes to make key stops. He is certainly not one to make great plays on aerials, as has been witnessed in the Spanish League this year with Real Madrid.
Of course, the conventional thinking might be that Casillas is taller than Ospina and thus better able to deal with taller presences in front of goal. But that would also require a keeper who is good at playing with big bodies in front of him.
Casillas unfortunately has never been good at playing physically in his area. It is simply not his game and at 33, there is a slim chance he suddenly becomes a master at it. We saw David De Gea struggle with that aspect of his game early on in his career with Manchester, but it took him a few years to improve at this aspect of the game. However, De Gea is in his early 20s and his prime is still ahead of him. Casillas is past his prime and likely on a decline.
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