Since the days of David Seaman and Jens Lehman, Arsenal has struggled to find a consistent shot-stopper. From Lukasz Fabianski, Manuel Almunia, Vito Mannone and now Wojciech Szczesny, Arsene Wenger has had a hard time sorting out the problem between the posts.
When David Seaman arrived from Queens Park Rangers in 1990, he brought with him a resume that consisted of three clubs (Peterborough United, Birmingham City, QPR), and a total of 307 appearances. He had also already spent two years with the English National Team, making him a good option for the Gunners at the age of 27.
After Seaman, came the days of Jens Lehman, who joined the club when he was 33 years-old. He too, joined the club at a later stage in his career, having already played 408 matches at the club level. When we also add in his five years of being part of the German National Team, Lehman brought a significant amount of experience to Highbury.
Unlike Seaman, Lehman had already enjoyed success before arriving in London. During his time with Schalke, he helped the German side claim the 1996-97 edition of the UEFA Cup, now known as the Europa League.
In his short stint at AC Milan, Lehman was part of the Serie A championship team in 1998-99, and while at Borussia Dortmund, he guided the Black & Yellows to a Bundesliga title.
As we can see, Arsenal had opted for older and more experienced players earlier in Arsene Wenger's career with the Gunners. Since their departure, it has been a complete guessing game in the Arsenal goal. Who should start? Who is better? Are either of the goalkeepers good enough for a club like Arsenal?
Looking at Szczesny, Almunia and Fabianski, one would have to agree that Szczesny is the better of the three. After Almunia left the club, Mannone started to come into the picture more often, but having spent a significant amount of time at the club, the Italian has not really proven that he is anywhere near good enough for a top club, at least just yet.
What is interesting is the fact that Szczesny arrived at Arsenal when he was 19, and is still only 23. Given how old Lehman and Seaman were when they first put on the Arsenal jersey, Szczesny may well surpass their skill level within the next four or five years, but that is a question mark Arsene Wenger appears to be content with.
Uncertainty and inconsistency at the back has left Arsenal fans wondering what needs to be done for Wenger to realize there is a problem.
That problem that has been lingering for sometime could probably be taken care of with the signing of Julio Cesar.
The current QPR goalkeeper and Brazil international is 33 years-old and he would bring with him a resume that Arsenal fans have not seen in quite some time. A total of 28 titles between club and international competitions is a significant amount of silverware.
At the club level, Cesar has won the Champions League, as well as the FIFA Club World Cup with Inter Milan. He not only has titles to go with his name, but he has also put in some incredible performances on the big stage.
His transfer to Arsenal would not cost too much for the Gunners, and it realistically would be a low risk gamble. He proved last year that he can still compete, and he just helped Brazil claim the Confederations Cup.
Bringing him into the club would not mean that he would be an automatic starter, but if anything, it would show Szczesny that any mental lapse could be bad news for him.
The Polish keeper did put in some brilliant performances last season, but at times, he tends to lose his concentration, costing Arsenal dearly. With Cesar in the squad, it would force Szczesny to always be at his best, knowing that a former World Cup, Champions League and Confederations Cup winner is ready to take the number one spot.
