EXCLUSIVE: Arsenal target Ramaj transfer with Ramsdale's future on the line

Steve Kay

• Updated: 25 Feb 2024 14:08 GMT
• 3 min read

Exclusive

Arsenal will move for Ajax goalkeeper Diant Ramaj in the event Aaron Ramsdale leaves the club, FootballTransfers can exclusively reveal.

Arsenal are keen to bolster their goalkeeping department next summer.

David Raya has displaced Ramsdale as the club's No.1 since arriving on loan from Brentford, and the Gunners are expected to trigger the £27 million option to make his move permanent at the end of the season.

England international Ramsdale is understood to be unhappy with the prospect of being a permanent understudy, and Arsenal have identified Ramaj to fulfil that role according to FootballTransfers collaborator Steve Kay.

"Arsenal also liked him when he was at Eintracht Frankfurt," reports Kay. "He's good on the ball which is something Mikel Arteta certainly wants. He's also excellent at long balls to the attackers and could be the perfect back-up at Arsenal.

Ramaj would cost €15m

"Ramaj's also a great shot-stopper. He's brave in coming out for crosses etc. The only question mark, if anything, is his handling.

"As for his value, I'm told he wouldn't cost a lot. A fee of €15m has been mentioned to me."

Ramaj is rated at just €5.1m by FootballTransfers' in-house algorithm, but a slight premium on a player still under contract until June 2028 can be expected. It is likely Ajax would cash in if a bid were to arrive.

"Ajax have achieved a €55m pre-tax profit (€39m after tax), compared to a €32m loss the previous season," Kay continued. "This improvement was largely due to profit from player sales, which shot up €75m from €38m to €113m.

"Even so, if an offer was to be presented by Arsenal it's likely to be taken into serious consideration, especially with the club desperately needing to invest heavily in the squad during the summer."

Arsenal have no intention of selling Ramsdale, but the latest Ramaj information hints heavily that the former first-choice goalkeeper has told Arteta that he wants out. Chelsea are among the clubs reportedly interested.