Arsenal ‘expected’ to complete first summer signing with £21m Spaniard Arteta’s ‘contingency plan’
According to reports, Arsenal are expected to complete the permanent signing of David Raya this month and Mikel Arteta has a ‘contingency plan’ should Aaron Ramsdale depart.
Raya joined Arsenal on loan from London rivals Brentford last summer and there is a £27million buy option that the Gunners are expected to pay.
He controversially took Ramsdale’s spot in Arsenal’s goal but Arteta’s highly-debated decision proved to be a good one after the 28-year-old claimed the Premier League Golden Glove.
Ramsdale’s future is uncertain amidst interest from Newcastle United and Chelsea, with the Gunners’ reported £50m asking price putting off suitors.
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Should the England international leave, Arteta will need to bring in a new No. 2 for Raya, though third-choice goalkeeper Karl Hein recently penned a new contract and could be a dark horse for the role.
There is a chance, however, that Ramsdale will be priced out of a move with clubs extremely unlikely to pay £50m for a goalkeeper who barely played last season.
Arsenal will argue that he has proved himself as a top Premier League goalkeeper, is an English international, and is homegrown.
What is certain is that Arteta and director of football Edu Gaspar have been busy looking for potential goalkeeper signings.
Arsenal identify ‘likely target’ to replace Aaron Ramsdale
A colossal transfer report from The Athletic reveals that Arsenal are looking at Espanyol’s Joan Garcia as a ‘contingent plan’ should Ramsdale be sold.
It is noted that Danish teenager Lucas Nygaard is joining from FC Nordsjaelland but has a place waiting for him in the club’s academy.
The report claims there has been ‘little movement on Ramsdale’s future’, though Garcia is ‘high’ on Arteta’s list of potential replacements.
Garcia has a €25m (£21m) release clause and is the ‘likely target’ to compete with Raya next season.
With Raya ‘expected’ to be signed permanently this summer and become Arsenal’s first senior signing of the window, the Gunners are ‘planning for his deputy’.
While it has been reported elsewhere that Ramsdale is worth £50m to Arsenal, it is claimed here that an ‘exit is likely’ if a club offers the £24m they paid to sign him from Sheffield United three years ago.
You will be able to get a closer look at Garcia at the Summer Olympics in Paris as he is set to represent 2020 silver medalists Spain.
The 23-year-old kept eight clean sheets in 14 appearances across all competitions for Espanyol last term.
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