But to develop you have to leave.
While Arsenal are creating an increasingly confident game, the situation around Gunners goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale is becoming increasingly tense. Some express sympathy for the Englishman, who has lost his place in the starting lineup. Others believe that he was rightly benched for playing reasons. But perhaps everyone will agree that Mikel Arteta had no obvious reason to put Ramsdale on the bench.
The prospects are vague
Arsenal signed David Raya on loan from Brentford in the summer with a £27m buyout clause. It may seem that the very fact of the loan means that the Gunners are unsure of the Spaniard and need to test him. However, ESPN sources assure that the decision on the transfer is final and that the lease-purchase scheme was used only for accounting reasons: in reality it is simply a deferred payment.
Therefore, Ramsdale’s problems are very serious. But the young goalkeeper went through a difficult path, he survived the skepticism of Arsenal fans and at some point became a hero. No one could have imagined that just months after a successful season, Ramsdale would be fighting to save his career. Last season the Gunners were very close to winning the league. A little thanks to Ramsdale, who played all 38 championship games. In May he signed a new contract with the Gunners. And here are some questions that will be discussed below.
Goal for a long time
Of course, the coach has every right to change the goalkeeper if he believes it will be better for the team. Arsenal wanted Raya even before re-signing Ramsdale. Gunners goalkeeping coach Iñaki Kanha worked with Raya at Brentford and recommended him. Furthermore, they have the same agent: Howman Moonell. It also became increasingly clear that Raya would be leaving lowly Brentford. He still had one year left on his contract and Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham were among those interested. Therefore, Arsenal had to be proactive.
A question of honesty
Were Arsenal fair to Ramsdale when they bought him back in May? It’s a question his father Nick pondered on a recent episode of the Highbury Squad podcast. Here’s what he said:
This is purely my opinion. But why would he renew the contract of a goalkeeper or any other player and then do the same thing two or three months later?
Let’s look at the details. Ramsdale’s previous contract ran through 2025, with an option to extend for another season. His new contract will last until 2026. He also has a similar option. The changes aren’t too big. If you don’t look at the salary. It’s about her. Because of her, the new signing was started. As reported in the English report mass media, Ramsdale’s salary doubled in the new contract. So he chose money over a place in the starting lineup? Or was he unaware of Arsenal’s plans to buy Raya? The goalkeeper’s father talks about the second:
We had no idea. I didn’t know anything, our family didn’t know anything. Aaron couldn’t imagine not being able to play. It happened suddenly.
However, ESPN’s own sources close to the club deny this position. Arsenal reportedly made it clear to Ramsdale’s representatives that work was underway to sign a new goalkeeper. So only Aaron himself can imagine what exactly he knew about this situation and what motivated him when he extended the contract. Maybe Aaron was hoping to beat Raya’s competition, to take advantage of his opportunity. However, it is clear that things are not going in his favor.
Not suitable
It was clear that the situation was taking a toll on Ramsdale. There are goalkeepers driven by competition and forced to improve. And there are those who, on the contrary, begin to become even more nervous: he is fueled by the coach’s trust and confidence. Ramsdale, in a recent match against Brentford, who Raya was unable to play for due to the terms of his loan, had an unsuccessful first half. In it, he almost gave Brentford a goal. In the second half Ramsdale calmed down and ultimately did not concede. However, his performance in that match cannot be called entirely convincing.
But even if he had given a great battle, this would hardly have changed his position. Arteta simply wants something different from his goalkeeper. It is believed that Raya plays better with his feet, is able to play the ball better and launch attacks with more variety than Ramsdale. In addition, Raya is calmer in playing online, while Aaron is more susceptible to mood swings, his psyche is more mobile, he can take courage or can get nervous. At the same time Ramsdale is open, friendly, frank, very lively, let’s say. But even these character traits do not mesh with Arteta’s desire to see maximum concentration and discipline. And this is not some kind of technical feature of the game that you can work on during training. This is something profound.
Arteta’s attitude towards Ramsdale is also indicated by some casual phrases that the manager uttered regarding his goalkeeper. For example, in one of the press conferences Arteta was asked how Ramsdale began to behave in training. In these cases, the standard response is usually “for all, against all evil.” But Arteta seemed irritated by this argument:
I honestly don’t want to talk about the attitude to work of every single player on the team. Regardless of whether they play or not.
Then, by the way, Arteta admitted that he should have expressed his thoughts differently. But at the same time, in another conversation, he clearly admitted that he wants to replace the goalkeeper in some matches. And this is presumably the thing he regrets the most. It’s not hard to guess that we were talking about games involving Ramsdale.
No options
At the same time, Arteta denies rumors about Aaron’s possible departure in January. He stressed that he was counting on Ramsdale:
We will always do our best to help our players. This is a team sport that requires all 24 players. Everyone has a specific role to play. And the role you have in August may be completely different in March.
Arsenal are in a good position to reject offers for Ramsdale. Given his contract, it is unlikely that Aaron will be able to escape the club in the January transfer window. The Gunners, fighting for the championship, want to have a second strong goalkeeper in their squad. No one doubts the strength of Ramsdale, who showed himself well last season. But there will be almost no opportunities to test yourself in this.
Ramsdale could play against in the final round of the Champions League group stage PSV. Because the Gunners have already won their group. But we are unlikely to see him in significant matches, perhaps until the third round of the FA Cup, which takes place on January 6. Although there is no clarity here either. There is no clear statement that Ramsdale will be a “cup” goalkeeper.
All this tells us that Ramsdale will not win the competition against Raya. And he must understand this. His father’s complaints and those of Aaron himself are unlikely to help the situation. Here you have to push firmly on the need to change the team, or continue to harden as the best years of your career pass. The words of the English national team coach can encourage Ramsdale. Gareth Southgate said Ramsdale needs to have experience to join the national team for Euro 2024. If Aaron can leave, it will only be after the end of the season. And the team’s moment will probably be missed.
There is interest in Ramsdale. Chelsea monitors the situation around him and says that Wolverhampton is not against renting Aaron. There were rumors about other clubs. But now everything is absolutely under the control of Arsenal, who will not give Ramsdale a chance unless Raya gets injured. Aaron has partly put himself in this cage. But at least for more money than I could.
