Aaron Ramsdale to Remain Arsenal No.1 Even if David Raya Joins
Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale is set to remain the Gunners’ No.1 even if the club sign Brentford star David Raya this summer, according to reports.
Mikel Arteta is a long-time admirer of his Spanish compatriot and has been exploring a shock deal to bring in the goalkeeper. However, the Daily Mail reports that Raya would not be replacing Ramsdale as the No.1 at the Emirates.
Arsenal Open Talks With Raya’s Representatives
Arsenal have opened talks with Raya’s representatives over personal terms, but Brentford are adamant they will not budge from their £40m valuation. Raya has been approached by a host of clubs already this summer, including Tottenham and Bayern Munich.
Brentford boss Thomas Frank said: ‘I hope [we get an offer], we are waiting to sell. David would like to go. That’s fine for us. If a club want to buy [him] they just need to find out the price. So I guess it should be simple, but apparently it’s very difficult! He’s worth £40m – I’d love to get that for him. He was one of the four best keepers in the Premier League last season. What is the price for a player with one year left? Declan Rice went to Arsenal for £105m – is that a fair price? And Harry Kane, one year left, and they’re talking about £150m? Anyway, it’s not up to me. It’s always complicated. Two sides of the coin when it comes to negotiations and we meet somewhere in the middle.’
Ramsdale to Remain Arsenal’s No.1
Aaron Ramsdale joined Arsenal from Sheffield United two years ago and is currently the Gunners’ first choice goalkeeper, with American Matt Turner acting as an understudy. However, Mikel Arteta wants to bring in higher quality cover and competition for the England international.
Despite reports linking Raya with a move to the Emirates, it appears that Arteta will continue with Ramsdale as his No.1 goalkeeper. This could be good news for Arsenal fans who have seen their side struggle defensively in recent years and will be hoping that Arteta can help solidify their back line.
It remains to be seen if Arsenal will be able to secure a deal for Raya, but it appears that even if they do, Aaron Ramsdale will remain as their No.1 goalkeeper.