Aaron Ramsdale (Getty Images)
A report by Express states that Arsenal have had two bids turned down for Sheffield United goalkeeper, Aaron Ramsdale. Mat Ryan, who was signed on loan to be Bernd Leno’s backup last season, has joined Real Sociedad. That has left the Gunners wanting a new goalkeeper as a backup to their German shot-stopper. Their latest offer for Ramsdale was believed to be in instalments.
The Blades, however, want £32m for the 23-year-old. Ramsdale came through the youth academy at Sheffield United but was sold to Bournemouth in 2017. From there, he was loaned out to Chesterfield and then AFC Wimbledon before returning signing for the Blades permanently last year. But is he really a player that Arteta should be stretching Arsenal’s transfer budget for? Let’s find out.
The Gunners did see Ryan leave for Spain, but they don’t have so much urgency that they go out and splash big money on someone like Ramsdale. Leno is just 29 years old and can still perform for a few years. The German was bought from Bayer Leverkusen three years ago and has been their No. 1 choice between the sticks since then.
He is also on a contract that still has two years remaining. While they may not have much Premier League experience, Dejan Iliev and Runar Alex Runarsson are also in their squad. If Arsenal are to meet the aforementioned valuation of the former Bournemouth man, it would make him the most expensive goalkeeper in the history of the club.
It would cost even more than the £22m they paid to Leverkusen for Leno. The question then arises if Ramsdale, who has spent just two seasons in the top-flight and got relegated in both, is worth the amount. One would find it hard to understand why the Gunners are not focusing on another goalkeeper such as Andre Onana.
Last month, Metro claimed that Arsenal were close to signing the Ajax goalkeeper who was on course to run out of his contract in the summer of 2022. If things went in the Gunners’ favour, they could have landed Onana for as little as £1.7m. But since then, Arsenal’s attention has shifted to the English stopper, Ramsdale.
Such amount of money, simply stated, does not make sense for Arsenal right now because they have other issues to address. According to a report by ESPN last month, no European football in 25 years means the Gunners don’t have the biggest transfer warchest they could have had, and with a limited amount of money, it is wise to focus on the more glaring issues.
The club can use a couple of midfielders. They have already spent an initial fee of £15m on 21-year-old Belgian midfielder, Albert Sambi Lokonga. As for their need for a central defender, the Gunners are close to sealing a £50m move for Brighton & Hove Albion’s English centre-back, Ben White. But that’s not all.
They can still do with a playmaker and a full-back. According to The Telegraph (Subscription Required), Hector Bellerin is prepared to leave Arsenal. A report by The Athletic (Subscription Required) then adds that Arsenal are interested in bringing in Tammy Abraham, valued at around £40m by Chelsea, this summer.
Amidst this, it doesn’t seem like the best option to splash the cash for a player that may just go on to play backup to Bernd Leno. The Gunners would be smart to strengthen the squad elsewhere. If and when Leno’s future at the club looks shaky, they can go out and buy another goalkeeper, probably one with stellar experience in the top-flight who can justify his price tag.
