It is reported that Brighton and Coventry have agreed a £25m pound fee for goalkeeper Carl Rushworth. Is it the right choice signing a goalkeeper with zero Premier League experience?

What's going on?

    Last season, Carl Rushworth really stood out in that infamous Coventry team that won the Championship. He signed on a season long loan from Brighton and kept 17 clean sheets along the way winning the Championship's golden glove. After securing promotion to the Premier League, the Sky Blues are now interested in signing their super keeper but the price has been an issue after Brighton rejected a £20m pound bid. However, over that last few days, it is being reported that a deal has been agreed of £25m plus £7m in add-ons. 

How good of a keeper is he?

    There is no doubt that Rushworth is a solid outfit in most teams. He secured 17 clean sheets last season and boasts a save percentage of 73.2%, which puts him in the top 3 goalkeepers in the Championship last campaign. In his 46 matches, he conceded just the 45 goals, that equates to 0.98 goals let in per match. He made 122 saves and has made them when they matter the most, this is crucial due to the fact goals change games and a goal before half and full time really shifts the other players' mentality. To compliment his shot stopping, Rushworth is a modern goalkeeper and has excellent passing and has a great ability on the ball; he is frequently seen dummying the defender and taking a few touches when he has the ball at his feet. 98.5% of his short passes were accurate, with 93% of his medium passes also getting to their intended destination. Additionally, he has registered 1 assist in a crucial game against Middlesbrough where he put Haji Wright through on goal where he finished. Finally, he dosent just control his area, he dicatates it. Anything that comes near him is smothered, however, he tends to only get it when it comes right near him and lets his defenders do the rest. That is fine though because he tells his defenders where he wants them and who he wants marked. This therefore allows for them to clear a corner or throw-in with ease.

The gamble

    Despite Rushworth being by far the the best goalkeeper in the Championship last season, there is a massive, ever growing gap between the Championship and the Premier League. Even though he is a Brighton player, he has never actually played for the Seagulls and has no experience in the division. The massive gulf in class between Championship forwards and Premier League forwards is big and will have more shots, and more accurate shots fired at him. This puts more pressure on him and even a tiny positional misjudgement will get punished by strikers like Erling Haaland and Viktor Gyokeres. Also, with a high price tag, especially for a keeper, it will mean that he will have to keep up his standards and make them better. If he can't keep up with this constant pressure he will be classed as a waste for Coventry and will negatively impact his career. Lastly, he will have less time on the ball and will almost certainly be punished for a slightly misplaced pass, this means his distribution has to be on point throughout the season. This pressure could result to him doing more direct long passes, these have a higher fail rate and this gives the opposition possession either from the back or a throw in.

Why can't he play in the Premier League with a record like last season?

    On the other hand, with a record like his, why he couldn't make that step up into England's top flight. His immense, 73.2% save rate is enough to keep 3 out of 4 shots on target out of the goal and that is a very good record. Additionally, he has top level reflexes and can pull off acrobatic saves, this keep Coventry in games. Alongside this, his towering height of 6'3 make him a prominent figure in the box meaning he can catch and sweep behind very easily.  He is also a tough, fit keeper due to the fact he played in each and every minute of every game for the Sky Blues last time out. There is a very strong possibility that he will seamlessly fit in to the Premier Leagueand why shouldn't he with that impressive save percentage and Premier League level atributes. Everyone that gets promoted from the Championship should get the to take that step up and make the jump to the big leagues. We won't know if he is a Premier League goalkeeper without seeing him there. He deserves a chance.

Image: Getty Images

Final Words

    It is becoming increasingly likely that Carl Rushworth will be a permanent Coventry player and should do well in the Premier League. It is a risk signing an untested Premier League goalie but everyone deserves their chance.