How Raya transfer proves Ramsdale has no future at Arsenal under Arteta

Suraj Radia

• 20 Oct 2023 14:25 BST
• 4 min read

The battle for Arsenal’s number one jersey has been hotly contested this season but the future is looking bleak for Aaron Ramsdale as David Raya continues to be Mikel Arteta’s chosen goalkeeper going forward.

Raya joined Arsenal on loan in August and extended his contract with Brentford prior to leaving, while the Gunners only had an option to make the move permanent, suggesting that Arteta still wanted to assess his options before committing to one keeper.

The Arsenal boss stated upon Raya’s arrival that the signing was purely to add competition to the first team and even claimed he would be open to subbing his goalkeeper off during a game the same way he would a forward or midfielder.

HINTS: Raya reveals he could be set for permanent Arsenal transfer

Arteta’s comments about his selection conundrum led to a belief that there may be some genuine rotation between his goalkeepers but Ramsdale played just three games before being benched for Raya and the England international has made just one appearance since – in the Carabao Cup.

Despite Raya keeping four clean sheets in his six games for his new club, Arteta’s uncertainty to explicitly call the Spaniard his number one has led to constant questions over who would be in goal for the next game but the manager’s recent comments hinted that Ramsdale may now simply have to wait for his opportunity instead of getting rotational minutes.

“It’s not easy for any player who’s not playing as much as they’d like to,” Arteta said ahead of Arsenal’s game against Chelsea this weekend. “The only way to do it is work harder, to contribute to the team in a different way and when you get the opportunity… then do your best and try to help the team to win”.

Ramsdale ‘suffering and hurting’ from Arsenal déjà vu

Ramsdale could be considered hard done by to have been replaced, having been named in the PFA Team of the Year last season and helping Arsenal to second place in the Premier League.

However, the 25-year-old made a number of errors at the latter end of last season and began the new campaign keeping just one clean sheet in his first four games.

MOVES: Ramsdale wants Arsenal exit claims ex-England star

The sudden relegation to the bench was perhaps ironic given the parallels to Ramsdale’s arrival at Arsenal in 2021, which saw eyebrows raised when Arteta spent £24 million to replace the reliable Bernd Leno.

Ramsdale’s ability with the ball at his feet was a significant upgrade on Leno, yet, in more irony, it is Raya’s superior passing ability that prompted Arteta to replace his keeper yet again and impose his play style even further.

Ramsdale has admitted his current situation has left him ‘suffering and hurting’, with his chance to replace Jordan Pickford as England’s number one for next summer’s European Championships slowly fading.

The comments from both Ramsdale and Arteta, combined with speculation that Raya’s loan deal will now become permanent, is the clearest indication that the battle for Arsenal’s number one spot is not a competition anymore, with one man the clear victor to lead the Gunners going forward.

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