Arsenal are in a real fix this summer. They have mishandled the contract situation of their former number 1 goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale.
Ramsdale has moved to the bench since the arrival of David Raya last summer. Having performed at a high level and becoming a club favourite, Mikel Arteta’s sudden move to bring in Raya on loan was surprising.
Initially, the fans were frustrated at the sudden change but David Raya impressed with his solid performances and the noise eventually died out. Ramsdale has since been forgotten and is looking for an way out after spending an entire season in the bench.
Arsenal have contacted Wolves for their backup gk Dan Bentley. They want the former Arsenal academy player as their backup at number 3.
These are clear signs of a revamp in the goalkeeper department at Arsenal and Ramsdale will not want to be number two for a consecutive season.
Why was Aaron Ramsdale replaced as the starter?
Ramsdale had a good season with Arsenal prior to being becnched. The Gunners finished second in the Premier League. Ramsdale aided a solid Arsenal defence with 94 saves. He signed a new contract in 2023 for 3 years.
While the sudden disfavour for the former starter may appear odd, the answer lies in Arsenal’s goalkeeper coach Inaki Cana. He was the mentor of David Raya at Brentford. Arsenal had been following Raya for some time and did not want to pass on an opportunity to sign him. Arteta heavily favours Inaki Pena and was convinced of Raya’s quality due to his glowing recommendation.
Raya was initially signed on a loan for £3million with a permanent buy clause of £27million. The Gunners have paid the buy clause and have signed the Spanish goalie on a permanent deal this summer.
This has significantly decreased Ramsdale’s chances of returning to the starting 11 as a starter. He now wants a way out of the club in hope for regular minutes.
The club are on the lookout for Ramsdale’s replacement as well. They want a solid number 2 as backup to David Raya. Arteta has identified Joan Garcia for the role on Inaki’s call. He is a 23yo Spaniard who plays for Espanyol. He has a price tag of £15million but now might be bumped up to £25million due to Espanyol’s recent promotion to La liga. Arsenal will be able to acquire the goalkeeper for £15million due to him being relatively new to the first squad.
It’s clear that Arteta has jeopardised the English goalkeeper’s future at the club. His contract till 2026 seems even more absurd having been signed just before Raya’s arrival.
What’s next for Ramsdale?
Ramsdale is the next contender for England’s starting goalkeeper. His chances for the same will be undermined if he spends his club seasons in the bench. He has been vocal about his desire to leave the club.
As per reports by football.london, Arsenal want £35million in order let him leave. He has a contract till 2026.The price is understandable from their viewpoint of getting some money back for the player but no clubs in Europe will pay the high amount for a backup because of no vacancy in the starting position.
Nottingham Forest have held talks with the Gunners for the player but will not pay the hefty amount. Forest wants Ramsdale as their primary keeper and will wait out in hopes of a potential loan deal. They want to cover his wages without paying the high transfer fee.
Arsenal are unwilling to let go of the player on a loan. But with no clubs in requirment of a goalkeeper, eventually the Gunners will have to loan him out in hopes of salvaging some money in the future.
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