The key to deciphering whether goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale has been subjected to harsh treatment by Arsenal lies not only in the decision to sign David Raya himself, but in the level of communication around him.
There is huge sympathy for Ramsdale, who by general consensus had done nothing wrong in his first two years at the club before the Gunners moved to bring in Raya in the summer on an initial loan from Brentford ahead of a £27m move. Sources told ESPN that the structure of the deal was primarily due to accounting reasons on Arsenal’s end; Loaning Raya is not a sign of uncertainty about signing him permanently, but actually a deferral of the payment they expect to make.
– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (US)
So the Ramsdell problem is very real. The young goalkeeper who overcame skepticism within the Arsenal fanbase to become a cult hero faces a new battle to save his career, just months after playing all 38 matches, as the Gunners come the closest they have come in years to winning the Premier League. Title. The decline has been dramatic, especially since he only signed a new contract in May, and that is certainly the point at which any assessment of the situation should begin.
Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta has every right to change his team’s goalkeeper if he believes promotion is available. Arsenal wanted Raya before signing Ramsdale. The club’s goalkeeping coach, Iñaki Kania, worked with Raya at Brentford and recommended him. The couple shares the same agent, Jaume Munil. It is becoming increasingly clear that Raya will leave Brentford for the right fee this summer given he has one year left on his old contract and wanted a move. Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur were among the interested clubs.
So were Arsenal honest with Ramsdale when they signed a contract extension in May? It’s a question his father Nick pondered in a recent edition of it Highbury Squad podcast.. “That’s just me, why would you extend the contract of a goalkeeper or any player and then after two or three months…?” He said.
Well, totally. Ramsdale’s previous contract runs until 2025, with the option to extend for another year. There was no urgent time pressure for renewal. His new contract runs until 2026 with a 12-month option, so the main change was to his salary. Sources told ESPN that Ramsdell has nearly doubled his money with the new deal. Did he take the money in the hope that it would make up for his disappointment when he learned there would be new competition for his place, or was he simply unaware of Arsenal’s plans?
“We had no idea,” Nick Ramsdell continued. “I had no clue. Our family had no clue. Aaron had no clue that he wasn’t going to keep playing. And suddenly he wasn’t playing anymore.”
However, a source contradicts this view, telling ESPN that the club has indicated to Ramsdale’s camp that there is a possibility of signing a new goalkeeper. Ramsdale’s replacement, Matt Turner, wanted to play regularly to keep his place with the US national team and Arsenal have not extinguished the torch they carried for Reya. It is unclear at this point what the truth really is. Only Ramsdale himself can clarify these conflicting messages in a future interview, but for now he must focus on seizing the few opportunities he gets with more confidence than he has shown so far.
You can’t force composure. This was demonstrated in Ramsdale’s match at Brentford last weekend, a game in which he only played because Raya was not eligible under the terms of his loan. A disastrous first half in which he nearly gave Brentford a goal as he froze on the ball and somehow threw the ball to the ground when he tried to distribute it gave way to more emphasis after that and a clean sheet. But that was not enough to escape the conclusion that he was struggling to adapt to the demotion he faced.
Arteta simply wants something different from his goalkeeper. Raya is superior with the ball at his feet, able to build from the back and initiate attacks with greater versatility than Ramsdale. Raya has a more reserved presence among the female participants. By his own admission, Ramsdell has a bundle of energy and struggles to concentrate for 90 minutes, deliberately interacting with the audience to sharpen his focus. He is a friendly, open and honest person, and his frank interviews are to his credit. But he is also rough around the edges and arguably goes somewhat against Arteta’s meticulous and meticulous nature.
Surely the Arsenal manager could have handled it better. In his first pre-match press conference after Ramsdale was dropped in favor of Raya, Arteta was asked about Ramsdale’s reaction in training, the kind of deliberate open-ended question designed to get the manager talking about a sensitive subject.
Arteta said: “Honestly, I don’t want to talk about the reaction of every player in the team whether he plays or not.” It was a rude response, and he later corrected it later that week, realizing that he should have conveyed his thoughts more effectively.
As Arteta previously suggested He wished he had the courage to replace his team’s goalkeeper during matches. The 41-year-old did not specify the occasions on which he had the idea, but it is reasonable to assume Ramsdale was involved at least once, suggesting there has been doubt about what he can do for some time.
More recently, Arteta played down talk of Ramsdale’s exit in January by insisting last month that “we will always try to do our best to help them, but this is a team sport that needs 24 players who have to play a role – and the role they will play in August.” , it may be very different from the role you will be playing in March.
0:44
Ramsdell helps his father steal an early Christmas present
Aaron Ramsdale teams up with his dad to get a red ornament from the Arsenal tree as an early Christmas present.
For his part, Ramsdale would have been better off protecting his father from giving interviews to fan channels, or being caught on camera indulging in games like stealing ornaments from the Christmas tree inside the players’ entrance at Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal are in a strong position to reject offers for Ramsdale given his contract situation, and they are unlikely to agree to a mid-season exit without a No. 2 replacement in their squad. It remains to be seen whether he will be pushed to leave in January, but things are likely to be bleaker in the meantime unless Rea suffers an injury.
Ramsdale could feature in Arsenal’s final Champions League match of the year against PSV Eindhoven in 11 days’ time, with his side already confirmed as winners of Group B. He likely won’t play in a game Arsenal are actually interested in until the FA Cup third round on January 6, although that competition is third on the club’s priorities and it appears he has yet to be told he will be the club’s first choice for the cup. Competitions.
Sources have told ESPN that several Premier League clubs have shown interest in Ramsdale. Wolverhampton Wanderers are keen on a loan, a prospect that could appeal to Ramsdale given England manager Gareth Southgate has warned Ramsdale that he must play more to secure a place in the Euro 2024 squad. Chelsea are also monitoring the situation.
Something definitely has to give because another six months of this isn’t ideal for anyone.
