Arsenal star to avoid ‘clear’ Arteta stance by leaving in January with Gunners career looking ‘bleak’
Aaron Ramsdale is likely to “consider his options” this month with his England place at threat due to his lack of game time for Arsenal, according to a journalist.
The 25-year-old has found himself on the bench after the summer signing of David Raya.
The addition of Raya has caused a fair bit of controversy as the Spaniard has hardly set the world alight with his performances in an Arsenal shirt.
Ramsdale is not England’s first-choice goalkeeper but will be motivated to go to Euro 2024 this summer.
He is currently behind Jordan Pickford in Gareth Southgate’s pecking order and before Raya’s arrival at the Emirates, it looked like he would be the man to step in if the Everton shot-stopper got injured.
In order to keep his spot in the Three Lions squad, a January transfer might be required.
Chelsea and Newcastle United have both been linked in recent months, though a winter switch seems pretty far off given the lack of rumours.
Speaking this week, Evening Standard‘s chief football correspondent Dan Kilpatrick says a conversation he had with Ramsdale back in October hints that he “would be interested in a move away from Arsenal”.
OPINION: Raya is a better goalkeeper but right now Ramsdale looks a better ‘Arsenal’ goalkeeper
“I spoke to Aaron Ramsdale on England duty back in October and he more or less said then, and he had only recently lost his place to David Raya, that if he could not get back into the Arsenal team he would have to consider his options because of his concern for his England place,” Kilpatrick said.
“He was only playing in the domestic cups and Arsenal are now out of both so his prospects of playing in the second half of the season look really bleak.
“From a personal point of view, I think Ramsdale would be interested in a move away from Arsenal. He wants to be in that England squad for the European Championship. He’s said as much.
“We know Jordan Pickford is Gareth Southgate’s number one and Sam Johnstone might be his number two as things stand so Ramsdale is on the verge of potentially slipping out of that squad if he doesn’t get some minutes.
“So, I definitely think he will be interested in a move but whether Arsenal are is a different thing. I think Mikel Arteta has been pretty clear that he doesn’t want to lose Ramsdale and said it would take an astronomical offer to get him out of the club this month.
“That’s understandable, particularly when Raya’s future isn’t secure yet. It would be a bit of a risk to sell Ramsdale permanently so there may be some conflict there but you can understand why a player who is as ambitious as Ramsdale is and did as well as he did last season would be considering his options at the moment.”
Raya joined the Gunners on loan from Brentford, though Arteta’s side are expected to exercise the £27million buy option in the agreement with their London rivals.
