David James has claimed that Arsenal should have signed Asmir Begovic instead of Petr Cech as he feels that the former Chelsea keeper's best days are behind him.
The Gunners bolstered their rearguard with an £11m move for the Czech international from the Blues, but Jose Mourinho's men soon replaced the 33-year-old by signing Begovic in an £8m deal.
The former England keeper believes that Arsene Wenger should have opted for the Bosnian because of the longevity he would have provided for the club.
James told talkSPORT: "Petr Cech is a very good goalkeeper but he's not at his best. At 33 years of age, there's nothing to say he can't get back to the form of Petr Cech at his best though.
"If he does then Arsenal still have one hell of a goalkeeper but Chelsea still get £11m for a 33-year-old with one year left on his contract. They have gone out and bought Asmir Begovic, who was sought after by many big clubs and in the last two or three years, Begovic has been up there as one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League.
"[Begovic has] longevity because of his age, and, alongside Thibaut Courtois, you've got two of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League with 15-plus years ahead of them. For sure, If I was an Arsenal fan I would have been happier to have signed Begovic - £8m for Begovic and £11m for Cech."
Cech made his debut for Arsenal in their Premier League Asia Trophy win over Everton.
Simon Sinclair
