Brighton goalkeeper Maty Ryan joins Arsenal on loan

Who saw this one coming then? Brighton & Hove Albion goalkeeper Maty Ryan has joined Arsenal on loan until the end of the season after falling out of favour with Graham Potter.

The Australian has effectively gone from number four at the Amex Stadium – behind Robert Sanchez, Jason Steele and Christian Walton – to number two to Bernd Leno at one of the Premier League’s big six.

Prior to December, Ryan had been the Albion’s undisputed number one since the club joined the elite in 2017. He played over 100 games for Brighton, making countless points-winning saves in that time, most notably throughout October 2018 when three clean sheets in a row earned the Seagulls nine points which went a long way towards keeping them in the top flight.

Ryan’s performances that month led to him being named PFA Premier League Player of the Month, the only Brighton player to ever win such an accolade.

His form had dipped a little this season but not to the levels that some of the Brighton boo boys would have you believe. With Dale Stephens summer sale to Burnley, the mob decided to make Ryan their new favourite, dispensing lines such as “mAty rYAn gET oUt oF mY cLUb” and “ryAN iS tHe wOrSt gOalKEEpeR eVEr”.

Admittedly, many people were complaining when Ryan was dropped for the trip to Fulham and young Sanchez given an opportunity. Ryan looked like he needed a spell out of the team to rediscover the form that had made him one of the most reliable goalkeepers in the top flight.

What has happened since though has been extraordinary really, especially to a loyal servant who wears his heart on his sleeve and clearly cares deeply about the club.

In the aftermath of the 0-0 draw at Craven Cottage, Potter decreed that Sanchez was his new number one. Not only that, but Steele was going to remain as his preferred choice to sit on the bench for reasons that nobody could understand.

Only a madman would want Steele coming off the bench in a must-win Premier League game to cock up a back pass or completely missing a cross when Ryan is sat watching from home.

It then emerged that Ryan had been told to find a new club by Brighton. To willingly dispense of a goalkeeper of Ryan’s quality in a relegation battle when your other options are a 23-year-old who has never played above League One level before, a 25-year-old who has spent the past five seasons out on loan, and a goalkeeper rated by Sunderland supporters as the worst they have ever had seemed an unnecessary gamble to take.

And yet that is what Potter has done. If Sanchez now hits a rough patch of form – as is quite possible for a young player to do – then the only other options Potter has are Steele and Walton.

Not that Ryan will be complaining too much. Potter not rating him means that he gets the opportunity to move to one of the biggest clubs in the country.

There is the chance he will play Europa League football during his time at the Emirates as well as helping the Gunners defend the FA Cup they won last season.

Brighton will be hoping that Ryan impresses with Arsenal. There seems little prospect of him getting another opportunity under Potter and so the Albion will want to clear him off the wage bill at the same time as raking in a decent fee.

When the news that Potter had told Ryan he was free to leave first surfaced, the quoted figure that Brighton were after was reported as being between £7 million and £10 million.

Arsenal are tighter than a duck’s arse so there seems little prospect of them paying that sort of fee to take Ryan on a permanent basis.

The case of Emiliano Martinez shows what can happen when a backup goalkeeper at the Gunners gets a run of games however as he impressed suitably deputising for Leno last season to secure a £17 million move to Aston Villa.

Potter and Brighton may not rate Maty Ryan, but there are other clubs and managers that do – as Mikel Arteta and Arsenal have shown.

Here is hoping Ryan can prove himself again as one of the Premier League’s best goalkeepers during his spell at the Emirates and he gets a permanent move to a club who appreciate his talents.

Shamefully, that is no longer Brighton.