Arsenal have signed Mart Poom on a permanent contract from Sunderland. Poom has been with us since the start of the season on loan, but has not yet played a first team match and has only featured 4 times for the reserves. He's been on the bench a few times but the form of Jens Lehmann and Manuel Almunia has been sufficient to keep him off the pitch.

We do of course need a third keeper, and it's no surprise to see him kept on. But permanently...?

Given the lack of opportunities, it's kind of surprising that Poom even wants to stay. He's an experienced keeper with lots of top-flight (and lower-flight) English games under his belt for Derby County as well as Sunderland, and 100 caps for Estonia. You'd have thought that, at the age of 33, he might want to play a bit more while he still can.

The player is quoted on the official site as saying,

"I'm delighted to have signed a permanent deal with Arsenal and am really pleased that Arsène Wenger and the coaches at the Club have shown faith in me. I'm really enjoying it here at Arsenal and will continue to work hard in training"

What kind of faith, we wonder? Presumably the kind that makes them think he's a good keeper to have as back-up (an up-and-coming one would know they need to play). But presumably not the kind that makes them think he's likely to oust the incumbents. Or has Poom been told otherwise? He goes on to say, "...so that I am ready to hopefully feature in the first team in the near future." You can always hope. But at the end of the day, if he does ever play for Arsenal, one has to assume that it'll be because of injury, and that he'd have to play one hell of a blinder to hang onto the shirt when the other keepers are fit again.

Sunderland have struggled in the goalie position this season, with youngster Ben Alnwick having to deputise for Kelvin Davies who has struggled with injury and form. They have had Justin Hoyte on loan from us, and he's been doing well. Let's hope that a similar announcement about Hoyte doesn;t follow.