"Exceptional" player "ready to quit" Arsenal after Mikel Arteta treatment
In his first summer transfer window as the Arsenal boss, Mikel Arteta offloaded Emiliano Martinez to Aston Villa despite the Argentine's role in the Gunners' FA Cup triumph. Bernd Leno was back from injury, and Arteta indicated that he would stand by the German and relegate Martinez back to a number two role. That didn't satisfy, and he was given the chance to go and properly launch his career elsewhere.
Just a year on, though, Arteta was looking to move on from Leno and recruited Aaron Ramsdale from Sheffield United, paying up to £30m for the privilege. Leno started the first three games of that season but Ramsdale replaced him after the first international break and would hold down the spot for the next two seasons.
£60m defender ready to seriously consider move to Arsenal
He’s a man in demand.
ByEmilio Galantini
But history has since repeated itself at the Emirates Stadium. Late in the summer transfer window, Arsenal signed David Raya from Brentford on an initial loan deal with an option to buy that is expected to be activated. Within five games of the season starting, Raya had taken over between the sticks, and Ramsdale has only started one top-flight match since – the visit to his team-mate's parent club Brentford. Aside from that, he's been limited to outings in the domestic cups and an appearance in a Champions League dead-rubber against PSV.
Ramsdale wants out of Arsenal
Predictably, this has left Ramsdale unhappy. According to journalist Graeme Bailey, he's "ready to quit" Arsenal this summer because he has "no intention" of "sitting behind David Raya" for another season.
Ramsdale was initially led to believe that he could fight to win back his place, but in an article for HITC Football, Bailey reports that "he realised he was fighting a losing battle". The Englishman is now expected to seek a move away from North London this summer, which could force Arsenal into the market to recruit another new deputy.
"Exceptional" Ramsdale simply must move on
Very few would have predicted this turn of events on the back of last season, with Ramsdale earning a spot in the PFA Team of the Year after helping Arsenal finish as runner-up behind Manchester City. Arteta regards him as an "exceptional" keeper, but clearly he has more faith in Raya.
Player
Pos
Club
Aaron Ramsdale
GK
Arsenal
Kieran Trippier
DEF
Newcastle United
William Saliba
DEF
Arsenal
John Stones
DEF
Manchester City
Ruben Dias
DEF
Manchester City
Rodri
MID
Manchester City
Martin Odegaard
MID
Arsenal
Kevin de Bruyne
MID
Manchester City
Erling Haaland
FWD
Manchester City
Bukayo Saka
FWD
Arsenal
Harry Kane
FWD
Tottenham Hotspur
As much as Arsenal would ideally like to keep a player of this calibre around as a luxury back-up, it simply isn't realistic. Ramsdale knows he's good enough to be starting elsewhere in the Premier League, and the club hierarchy may not want Arteta to simply sit on a big pot of money.
Indeed, it's previously been suggested that Arsenal value the 25-year-old at £50m, and while they may struggle to get quite that much for a player who's spent much of the season on the bench, it should be a lucrative deal nonetheless, with PIF-backed Newcastle United already considering a move.