Arsenal have agreed to sell Aaron Ramsdale to Southampton, according to multiple reports. The Saints will pay £25 million for the out-of-favour England international. It’s a good move for both clubs and for the player. Southampton needed a goalkeeper – and they got a good one. Arsenal could use some money and cut Ramsdale’s salary, which, while not outrageously high, was far too much for a backup goalkeeper. And Ramsdale needed to move to a club where he would play regularly.
Ramsdale’s time at Arsenal was all but over when the club brought in David Raya. It was clear that Mikel Arteta preferred the Spanish goalkeeper because of his far superior ball skills and ability to catch crosses. Raya was never even close to giving up his job once he got it. Aaron Ramsdale is a great goalkeeper, probably the number one goalkeeper for England one day. David Raya is better.
At 26, Aaron Ramsdale needs to play and that’s exactly what he will do at Southampton. He will face plenty of shots in front of a newly upgraded defence, which should help him develop. The Saints started the experienced Alex McCarthy in the first two games of the season. The 34-year-old is unlikely to be a Premier League-level goalkeeper, nor a long-term solution in that position. Ramsdale is both, although he will likely move again should Southampton be relegated.
Ramsdale attracted a lot of interest in the Premier League, with several clubs interested in his services. The sticking point was usually his salary and that clubs wanted to loan him out with an option to buy. Arsenal wanted an outright sale, or at least an obligation to buy. In the end, Edu got what he wanted, although it is fair to question the timing of giving Ramsdale a contract extension and a pay rise last year, a few weeks before bringing in David Raya as a replacement, particularly as that salary probably helped to drive down Ramsdale’s asking price. However, the price was probably more driven down by the fact that he was not first choice, wanted a move and everyone knew Arsenal would offload him.
According to some reports, the transfer fee for Ramsdale is £18 million, with add-ons that could push the amount up to £25 million. David Ornstein reported that £25 million figure directly for The Athletic. Either way, it’s a win for Arsenal, even though the club spent £24 million to buy Ramsdale from Sheffield United in 2021. Because of accounting or something.
With the sale, Arsenal continues its restructuring of goalkeepers at the club, which includes the academy ranks. Ramsdale, Ovie Ejeheri, James Hillson and Arthur Okonkwo are out. As replacements, Arsenal signed two 18-year-olds: Lucas Nygaard and Tommy Setford. Of course, Arsenal were forced to make David Raya’s move permanent, which they were happy to do.
Arsenal currently do not have an experienced backup goalkeeper in their squad, but that is expected to change before the transfer window closes on Friday, with 23-year-old Espanyol goalkeeper Joan Garcia appearing to be the target.
We will all miss Aaron Ramsdale. He was a real person. From his smile to his comments to opposing fans, his character and emotions were always clear. Much of modern football seems artificial and unrealistic. Aaron Ramsdale, on the other hand, seems very real. This authenticity, coupled with his quality, made it easy to connect with him. In many ways he seemed like one of us, passionate, a little mischievous and looking for fun all at the same time.
Personally, I really don’t like having to say goodbye to two Arsenal players. Good luck, Aaron!
