Arsenal £27m transfer confirmation could be followed by another move

The confirmation of David Raya moving to Arsenal in a £27million transfer from Brentford could see Aaron Ramsdale leave the club this summer. Raya spent last season on loan at the Emirates but has now joined permanently on a five-year deal until 2029.

Raya, 28, displaced Ramsdale as first-choice goalkeeper upon his arrival last September and impressed during his loan stint, keeping 20 clean sheets in 41 appearances across all competitions. He won the Premier League Golden Glove in the process and helped them challenge Manchester City for the title.

Now, Raya is set to continue as No.1 going into the 2024/25 season, leaving the future of Ramsdale unclear once more. Ramsdale started the first four Premier League matches before losing his place to Raya after the first international break. In fact, Ramsdale made just two top-flight appearances after that point, with both coming against Brentford when Raya was unavailable to feature.

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Ramsdale featured in both the Carabao Cup and FA Cup, as well as making one appearance in the Champions League during the dead-rubber against PSV back in December. He ended the campaign having played just 11 first-team matches. Many thought his lack of game time would put him out of contention for a place in the England squad at Euro 2024, but Ramsdale managed to sneak his way in.

However, Ramsdale has already admitted that he does not want to spend another season as second-choice at the Gunners. Speaking last month, the 26-year-old told talkSPORT: “No footballer wants to not play. I’ve had a tough year personally not playing and I never want to do that again.”

With Raya now officially moving to Arsenal in a permanent deal, that could spell the end for Ramsdale in north London. Chelsea and Newcastle are among those that have been linked with a move for Ramsdale this summer. The ex-Bournemouth stopper has two years left on his contract and is valued at around £30m.

Ramsdale joined the Gunners from Sheffield United for £24m in August 2021. He replaced Bernd Leno as the club’s No.1 and helped them almost reach the Champions League in his debut season. Ramsdale then continued the responsibility into his second campaign and impressed as they finished second behind City. During his time at Arsenal thus far, Ramsdale has kept 32 clean sheets in 89 appearances.