Nick Dorrington
Arsenal are expected to be busy dealers in the transfer market come the end of another trophy-less season at the Emirates, but while the first-team undergoes a makeover, a long-term replacement for Manuel Almunia is also on their wish-list. In conducting their search, Arsenal’s scouting network appear to have latched onto a growing trend in Europe’s top leagues: the hiring of South American goalkeepers.
There was a time when keepers from the region were heavily distrusted for their flamboyance, giving rise to the feeling that sooner or later they would make some totally irrational decision that would cost their side the game. This was especially the case in England, and Heurelho Gomes’ disastrous start to his Tottenham career did little to dispel such notions. Given time to adapt, however, his recent superb performances could pave the way for further South American stoppers to make the move to the Premier League.
Italy, long considered the Mecca of goalkeeping prowess, has been the most enthusiastic league in terms of buying South Americans, with six goalkeepers from the region holding down regular starting berths at their respective top flight clubs. Roma have three Brazilian keepers on their books, while cross-city rivals Lazio have Argentine Juan Pablo Carrizo and Uruguayan Fernando Muslera vying for a first-team berth. Inter’s four consecutive league titles owe much to the goalkeeping brilliance of Brazilian Julio Cesar.
Spain's La Liga boasts four goalkeepers from the region as regular starters, while Portugal has a predictably high quota of Brazilians between the sticks. In Holland, AZ’s young Argentine keeper Sergio Romero went an incredible 955 minutes without conceding during his side’s run to the Eredivisie title.
Yet it is only now that English clubs are beginning to seek out such talent. While Tottenham went for the experienced choice in Gomes, their North London rivals Arsenal are targeting South America’s best young goalkeepers.
Their most recent move to this end was to invite Independiente’s 16-year old Damian Martinez, fresh from his impressive performances in Argentina’s run to the final of the South American U-17 championship, for a week-long trial. A tall, imposing keeper, he could prove to be the commanding presence Arsenal have been seeking as their last line of defence. Reports in the Argentine press suggest that he could be had for £1.3M should they be sufficiently impressed by him.
Miguel Angel Santoro, his former coach at Independiente, and current Argentina youth goalkeeping coach, certainly believes that Martinez has what it takes to make a name for himself in Europe. “I am sure that he will not only stay with the English club but that we will also see him in goal for the first team,” he told ESPN.
Martinez, though, has less lofty ambitions, and is just grateful to have been given the chance to train with such a prestigious European side. “When I was told that I was going to have a trial at Arsenal I thought that someone was joking,” he told Radio Rivadavia. “In fact, I thought that they were talking about Arsenal de Sarandi, the team in Argentina that shares their name.”
The young Argentine will clearly be keen to make an impact, not least because Arsenal have long had their eye on another talent from the region: Brazil’s Luiz Guilherme. Guilherme first came to the Gunners’ attention with a string of excellent performances during Brazil’s successful South American U-15 Championship campaign in 2007. He was named as the best goalkeeper at the tournament, and was soon brought over to Arsenal’s training facilities for a short trial.
Guilherme thoroughly impressed, and Arsenal were keen to negotiate a deal. However, he showed a surprising degree of level-headedness, indicating that he would prefer to continue at Botafogo for the time-being. “The important thing is not to skip any of the stages needed in the development of a professional goalkeeper because the most important thing for a goalkeeper is experience,” he explained. His parents were also thought to be wary of him making the move at such a young age.
When Martinez lined up for the final of the U-17 championship, it was Guilherme that was his opposite number in the winning Brazil side. Arsenal’s watching scouts would no doubt have been encouraged by the progress Guilherme has made, and there are rumblings that they could make another move for him should they elect not to sign Martinez.
Regardless of whether either of them end up at the Emirates, both Martinez and Guilherme are surely destined for big futures in the European game. If not Arsenal, then plenty of other sides are sure to be interested in securing their signatures. However, with these two, one gets the suspicion that they could be the first of a string of young South American goalkeepers to finally get their chance in England. And about time too.
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