Arsenal star drops HUGE summer exit hint

Cameron Smith

14 Jun 2024 20:15 BST
3 min read

England international Aaron Ramsdale has dropped a huge Arsenal exit hint by stating that he isn’t willing to play a back-up role next season.

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Ramsdale, 26, joined the Gunners in 2021 and he immediately became Mikel Arteta’s first-choice goalkeeper upon his arrival.

However, he was demoted to second-choice last campaign following the addition of David Raya on loan from Brentford.

The Spaniard is now expected to join Arsenal on a permanent deal after a successful campaign at the Emirates Stadium, which means Ramsdale is set to play second fiddle if he stays in north London.

Although the England international remained at Arsenal during the January transfer window, he could leave the club this summer and his latest comments suggest that an exit is extremely likely.

What has Aaron Ramsdale said?

The 26-year-old spoke to TalkSPORT while on England duty ahead of Euro 2024 and discussed his chances of usurping Jordan Pickford to become his country’s number one. In the process he dropped a major hint regarding his Arsenal future.

“I think Jordan [Pickford] has had the shirt and we’ve all been trying desperately hard for the past five years to get it off him and he’s done incredibly well,’ Ramsdale said.

© IMAGO - Aaron Ramsdale could leave Arsenal this summer

“And if he gets the nod then I hope he does incredibly well again because if he wins the tournament for me and I don’t play a minute, it’ll be the happiest day of my life.

“But what I would say is that squad numbers don’t always mean everything - we’re all fighting for the same goal, we’re all desperate to play. But then we also realise that it’s going to be a 26-man effort, 27 when you add Tom [Heaton] into it.

“No footballer wants to not play. I’ve had a tough year personally not playing and I never want to do that again.”

With Ramsdale admitting he never wants to be a bench option again, it certainly hints that an Arsenal exit is on the cards. Raya is expected to join the club permanently and as a result, Ramsdale may need to find a new club if he wants regular first-team football.