Arsenal were far from their fluid best on the opening day of the season, but did manage to get off to a winning start away at Old Trafford, which is no mean feat. It was another clean sheet for the Gunners, with goalkeeper David Raya taking man of the match after a commanding display between the sticks. This week, Transfermarkt’s Samuel Vásquez Rivas, who is TM’s Area Manager in Colombia, has been speaking exclusively to another Arsenal keeper.
19-year-old Colombian shot-stopper Alexéi Rojas has been in Arsenal’s Hale End Academy since he was 13 years old, and was included in Mikel Arteta’s team’s pre-season tour this summer. He has been speaking to TM about his journey at Arsenal, manager Arteta, the brilliance of Raya, new signing Kepa Arrizabalaga, facing Viktor Gyökeres in training, and his ambitions to be a future no.1 at the Emirates.
“Until I was 16, I was in the club’s youth teams and was always given the opportunity to play at levels above my age,” Rojas explains to Vásquez Rivas. In recent seasons, a lot of work has gone into Arsenal’s Hale End Academy, with the likes of Bukayo Saka, Ethan Nwaneri, and Myles Lewis-Skelly all progressing to the first-team. “This is my fourth season fully involved with Arsenal, and since last season I’ve been with the first-team, travelling with them in pre-season, training every day, and being part of official squads. I always accompany the group, whether we are at home or away.”
This has also given Rojas the opportunity to work closely with Arteta, and the Colombian tells us more about what it’s like to work with the Spaniard: “Arteta is very direct and demanding. He gives us great clarity about what he wants on the pitch and how he wants us to act. He’s a man you can talk to and understands all your personal issues. The most important thing is that he knows how to get the best out of every player. He always gives me important information about what he wants in goal. It’s a privilege to be with him as a manager.”
With his exploits with the Arsenal first-team, Rojas has also had the chance to work closely with no.1 keeper Raya. “Being able to have a goalkeeper like Raya so close is very special,” Rojas explains. “I consider him to be the best in the Premier League and one of the best in the world. You learn a lot from him in training: how he prepares, how he trains, getting to know his mentality and attitude. He always trains with maximum intensity, and it’s great to have him by my side as I grow.” There has also been another new keeper with bundles of experience arrive at the Emirates this summer, after Arsenal brought in Arrizabalaga from London rivals Chelsea. “Kepa is a very good guy and brings a lot of pedigree,” says Rojas.
“Him and Raya are two goalkeepers with a wide background and very different experiences in the game. We have a very close group and we support each other a lot in that position.” Despite his admiration for those ahead of him in between the sticks, Rojas does have ambitions to one day be Arsenal’s no.1 himself: “You always dream of being the starting goalkeeper. Among my goals, besides being the best goalkeeper in the world and playing for the Colombian national team, is the goal of being a starter in the Premier League. Right now, that’s not going to happen because there’s still a long way to go, but that’s what I’m aiming for, and that’s what I work towards every day.”
The Arsenal signing that has grabbed the most headlines this summer has been the acquisition of striker Gyökeres from Sporting, and Rojas has had an up close view of the Swede in training. He has had to face the Gunners’ new striker and reveals what that’s been like: “Gyökeres is a very good finisher; he knows how to place the ball from lots of different distances, especially inside the box, so his goal-scoring prowess is really impressive. I feel he will be very useful to us this season.”
It’s been a busy summer at the club, and Rojas feels that the team are in good shape because of it. “All the signings have added a lot to the group, and we have stellar players in every position. I’m also very happy to have Cristhian Mosquera by my side because his family is Colombian, and I’ve built a very strong relationship with him.” Rojas himself also has a big target for next summer when the next major international tournament rolls around. “We have the 2026 World Cup and my goal is to be there with the senior team. I feel I have a good opportunity because I know Néstor Lorenzo is giving young players a lot of opportunities. I want to be at the 2026 World Cup, and I hope I can achieve it.”
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