Aaron Ramsdale: Toys Out Of The Pramsdale

[Riou]

Ramsdale's interview was really good. He even said "I'm here to take Leno's shirt".

Pretty sure Runarsson said this too though

 

[Camus]

I'd start him straight away. We've paid 30million for him, Leno is basically gone next summer. So let's see what type of replacement we've signed straight away, he's already got 2 seasons of PL football under his belt so he doesn't need to be eased in imo.

 

[El Duderino]

Well, he's here.

A bit underwhelming for me. But he's an Arsenal player now and I'll back him.

Leno's been terrible and looks uninsterested, so he's immediate bar to clear is not that huge.

 

[Riou]

I'd start him straight away. We've paid 30million for him, Leno is basically gone next summer. So let's see what type of replacement we've signed straight away, he's already got 2 seasons of PL football under his belt so he doesn't need to be eased in imo.

Agree, but let Leno take the inevitable beatings from Chelsea and especially City, lets try and build up some confidence with Aaron by giving him the West Brom game as his debut.

Would absolutely start him after the international break v Norwich though, as you say Leno is done here anyway.

 

[NieThePiet]

Your boy Leno is done, baby.

 

[2Smokeyy]

Your boy Leno is done, baby.

 

[Riou]

Leno and Ramsdale duking it out for the number 1 shirt, while Runarsson watches on...

 

[dashsnow17]

Well, he's here.

A bit underwhelming for me. But he's an Arsenal player now and I'll back him.

Leno's been terrible and looks uninsterested, so he's immediate bar to clear is not that huge.

Really disappointed in Leno, was one of our best players, the club chooses him over Martinez even when many wouldn't have, and all he's done since is send out messages that he wants to leave. He's a wrong 'un!

 

[avenellroad]

Leno doesn’t sound too confident at the end there…go on Rammers

 

[carter777]

Arteta's greatest challenge

 

[razörist]

Why Arsenal signed Aaron Ramsdale

The signing of Aaron Ramsdale has left some Arsenal fans bemused. So why have the club spent £24 million on another goalkeeper?

theathletic.com

Spoiler: Why Arsenal signed Aaron Ramsdale

By James McNicholas

As England celebrated their European Championship semi-final win over Denmark, Bukayo Saka stepped briefly away from the revelry. Together with Aaron Ramsdale, he wandered over to pitch-side, where the two players pointed into the crowd to pick out each other’s families.
It was a touching sight: two young men living the dream and sharing the moment with those closest to them.

The tournament may not have had a fairytale ending for their England side but Ramsdale’s whirlwind summer continues. Having belatedly earned a call-up to Gareth Southgate’s squad for the tournament, he has now secured a high-profile move to join Saka at Arsenal. A friendship forged at St George’s Park will continue at London Colney.
If Ramsdale is assured of a warm welcome at Arsenal’s training ground, the reception on social media has been less kind.

Arsenal fans are infamously prone to infighting. Almost every decision the club take results in intense debate. The signing of 23-year-old Ramsdale, however, appears to have seen the supporters come to a kind of consensus: why, they ask, has their club decided to spend £24 million or more on a back-up goalkeeper who has been relegated from the Premier League in each of the last two seasons?
Within the club, however, there is satisfaction at finally landing their man. Arsenal’s pursuit of Ramsdale began as soon as last season ended — they have watched him closely since the summer of 2020. There were those at the club who considered him a good candidate to replace Emi Martinez back then but by the time the Argentinian agreed to join Aston Villa, Ramsdale had already joined Sheffield United from relegated Bournemouth.

Ramsdale’s move back to Yorkshire, having previously come through the youth ranks at Sheffield United, cost around £18 million and has meant Arsenal having to push the boat out to enable the Bramall Lane club to turn a profit 12 months on. The price Arsenal have ultimately paid — £24 million with a potential £6 million more in add-ons — makes one thing clear: the club don’t regard Ramsdale as merely a “back-up”.
Like Manchester United, Chelsea and other top teams, Arsenal like the idea of having two goalkeepers who can compete for one place in the team. Last season, they struck cut-price deals for two keepers: Alex Runarsson and later Mat Ryan, who joined on loan from Brighton in January. When Bernd Leno went through a bad patch of form, however, manager Mikel Arteta did not have enough faith in either one to drop the German. Ramsdale’s arrival provides an immediate alternative if Leno wobbles again.

Ramsdale and Saka at St George’s Park during Euro 2020 this summer (Photo: Eddie Keogh – The FA/The FA via Getty Images)

And then, beyond that, there is hope the newcomer can eventually become the club’s No 1. That’s reflected in the structure of the deal: the additional £6 million will only be triggered if Ramsdale plays a significant role in a successful Arsenal first team.

It is probably Ramsdale’s price tag that has attracted most scrutiny and understandably so: among English goalkeepers, only Jordan Pickford has ever fetched a higher amount. In terms of combined fees, Ramsdale’s second major transfer in the space of 12 months makes him one of the most expensive goalkeepers of all time.

It is, nevertheless, a considerably lower fee than Sheffield United were originally hoping for.
They initially demanded closer to £40 million and talks broke down last week when Arsenal’s third offer of £20 million plus £10 million in add-ons was rejected outright. In the end, however, Sheffield United came back to the table: ultimately, this was a deal they needed to do following relegation back to the Championship. After frantic negotiations, and intervention from intermediaries, a compromise was struck.
The Arsenal hierarchy are conscious of the optics of spending more on Ramsdale than they received for Martinez 11 months ago. They know all about the “English player tax” by now — the £50 million Arsenal paid Brighton for Ben White in July was arguably similarly inflated.

In the end, however, Arsenal’s need for another goalkeeper grew greater than any concerns over the price tag. They chose to back the manager and go the extra mile to get Arteta his preferred choice.

---

There were several criteria for Arsenal’s goalkeeper search. The homegrown factor was, at one stage, significant, and that was cited as one of the reasons for not pursuing a permanent deal for Australia international Ryan. In the coming years, Arsenal hope to compete in UEFA competitions again, in which they can carry a maximum of 17 non-homegrown players. In an ideal world, Arsenal don’t want several of those to be goalkeepers.

Arteta was also insistent he wanted a keeper who was good with the ball at his feet. Playing out from the back has become a cornerstone of Arsenal’s style under the Spaniard. The initial target was Brentford’s David Raya, who worked with Arsenal goalkeepers coach Inaki Cana at the west London club.
Arsenal pursued him intently last summer but ultimately, Brentford held firm. Raya signed a new contract including a minimum fee release clause, which would become obsolete if Brentford were promoted to the Premier League. Over the course of the 2020-21 season, Arsenal began working on a list of alternatives — as it transpired, Brentford came up via the play-offs, so they needed it.
Ramsdale’s name was top of that list.

Although in his season back at Sheffield United, he tended to play longer passes, staff have studied his previous time with Bournemouth and in the England Under-21 side, and believe he is capable of a short-passing game, too. Arsenal admire his bravery on the ball and his ability to throw quickly and accurately over distance.

Video scouting has played a key part in this decision. While Arsenal do statistically profile goalkeepers, those models are currently less sophisticated than for outfield players. Consequently, coaching staff tend to have a more active role, making qualitative judgements based on style and personality. Arteta has been personally involved. It is clear that Ramsdale is his choice.

Another aspect of Ramsdale’s game that Arsenal like is his willingness to come off his line to claim crosses. This, interestingly, is an area in which Leno is not particularly strong. According to fbref, last season Ramsdale ranked in the 88th percentile for “high claims” whereas Leno sits in the 66th percentile, despite being only a haircut shorter than the Englishman. Villa’s Martinez (42) was the only Premier League keeper to make more high claims than Ramsdale’s 33.

Arsenal have also taken note of Ramsdale’s courage when sprinting out of goal to dive at the feet of an attacker. He also averages a higher starting position and has made just three errors leading to goals in 75 Premier League appearances (for context, Leno has eight in 98).

Another attraction is the goalkeeper’s character. Ramsdale is known as a good professional — in some respects, a throwback. This is a player who spent the formative days of his career washing his own kit on loan at third division AFC Wimbledon. Arsenal don’t intend to offer Ramsdale the No 1 spot on a plate — but he will be given the opportunity to contest it. It takes a particular type of goalkeeper, and a particular type of personality, to accept that challenge.

By the summer of 2020, Martinez was no longer comfortable in that role. He’d had a taste of life as Arsenal’s first-choice when Leno missed most of the post-lockdown games, including the FA Cup final win over Chelsea, through injury and, at 28, was not willing to wait around any longer. While the Argentinian was a popular player at London Colney, he wasn’t one particularly inclined to hide his feelings. Some Arsenal staff believed that if Martinez was consigned to the bench again, they would have had a palpably unhappy player on their hands.

Having turned 23 in May, Ramsdale has considerably more time on his side. He has already demonstrated a willingness to be patient when required. When Southgate called him up to his expanded 33-man squad ahead of the Euros, he was frank about the fourth-choice goalkeeper’s prospects of getting a game in the tournament. Ramsdale was told that if he did not wish to join up with the squad, the England manager would understand. Of course, Ramsdale did report for duty and impressed with his dedication and commitment. When he was later called into the final 26 to replace Dean Henderson, his first words were of consolation to his injured Manchester United counterpart. Arsenal have identified Ramsdale as a “team player”.

The club were also impressed by the spirit he showed in responding to a difficult start to last season. Initially, the weight of expectation back at Bramall Lane seemed to phase him and he lost confidence. Perhaps, for a 22-year-old, that was inevitable. Ultimately, he turned things around enough to be voted Sheffield United’s player of the season. “I remember saying to the other coaches, ‘That kid has so much inner strength, so mentally strong’,” Ashley Bayes, his goalkeeping coach during that loan spell at Wimbledon in 2019, told The Athletic last year.

If he is to prove his doubters wrong and survive the intense scrutiny that comes with a big club, he’ll need to rely on that same mental resilience.
His bullish personality is one of the reasons Arteta has been won over. Ramsdale is a very vocal goalkeeper; another aspect that marks him out as different to Leno. “He’s always been that way,” says Bayes. “I took it as a sign of his confidence.”

It’s unusual in a player so young — but for a 23-year-old goalkeeper, Ramsdale has played a lot of football.
In fact, no player of that age or younger has played more top-flight minutes in Europe’s major leagues over the last two seasons. It puts him among good company:

In the life of a goalkeeper, 23 is young. For example, when Martinez was 23, he was returning from an underwhelming loan spell with Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship and an uncapped David Seaman had just signed for Queens Park Rangers from Birmingham City.

Playing young is no guarantee of future stardom, of course, but to survive in such a high-stakes position, you need to have something about you. What’s more, Ramsdale should improve.

Arsenal checked on the availability of Sam Johnstone at also-relegated West Bromwich Albion too but he is five years older than Ramsdale. The latter should, by all rights, develop substantially from here.

---

Part of the reason some Arsenal supporters are underwhelmed by Ramsdale’s potential arrival is that the club spent the early part of the summer being heavily linked with a move for Ajax goalkeeper Andre Onana.
However, while Arsenal did explore a potential move for the 25-year-old Cameroon international, a deal has never been particularly close. Onana is banned from football until November 4 on doping charges and Arsenal needed someone who can cover for Leno immediately. What’s more, Onana’s camp are mindful he may have more attractive options when his contract expires next summer.

An interesting question now is what Ramsdale’s arrival means for Leno? The 29-year-old has two years remaining on his contract and as yet, there are no talks about a potential extension. Increasingly, there is the sense that his time with Arsenal may be winding down. With Ramsdale under long-term contract, the pressure on Leno increases. Ramsdale will have ambitions of replacing the German as first-choice keeper sooner rather than later.

For much of the summer, Ramsdale has suffered for not being Onana, and not being Martinez.
Now that the deal is done, most reasonable Arsenal fans will judge him henceforth on his own merit and his own performances. Arsenal desperately needed to address the goalkeeping department. They have now done that, with the club’s oft-criticised US owners sanctioning considerable expenditure, too. This summer’s deals, however, are somewhat future-proofed: not one of Arsenal’s four signings is over the age of 23.
After very nearly not having a single player in Southgate’s Euros squad this summer, Ramsdale, Saka, White — and surely Emile Smith Rowe — will be in contention for the World Cup in Qatar next November and December, provided England qualify, of course.
Many fans will remain unconvinced of Arsenal’s decision to sign Ramsdale but at least they now have some idea why they’ve chosen to do it.
Time will tell whether Arteta’s conviction about this young goalkeeper is justified.

King

 

[#254]

He probably saw we had no ambition since we let the better keeper go.

Really disappointed in Leno, was one of our best players, the club chooses him over Martinez even when many wouldn't have, and all he's done since is send out messages that he wants to leave. He's a wrong 'un!

 

[Riou]

Calling it now, Arsenal will break Ramsdale relegation streak, he will finally stay in the league.

It's a ballsy call, but I back it!

 

[truth_hurts]

If he can command his box, I'm a fan of this move. No point in comparing him to Emi, but I'd start Ramsdale over the German flapper.

Leno is a good shot stopper though in fairness.

 

[drippin]

Part of the reason some Arsenal supporters are underwhelmed by Ramsdale’s potential arrival is that the club spent the early part of the summer being heavily linked with a move for Ajax goalkeeper Andre Onana.

However, while Arsenal did explore a potential move for the 25-year-old Cameroon international, a deal has never been particularly close. Onana is banned from football until November 4 on doping charges and Arsenal needed someone who can cover for Leno immediately. What’s more, Onana’s camp are mindful he may have more attractive options when his contract expires next summer.

Funny, that's exactly what I have been saying about Onana, that we need a goalie now, and he might want an UCL team, and he goes to AFCON.

Interesting quote about why Emi didn't stay as #2: "While the Argentinian was a popular player at London Colney, he wasn’t one particularly inclined to hide his feelings. Some Arsenal staff believed that if Martinez was consigned to the bench again, they would have had a palpably unhappy player on their hands."

Again, what I have stated, that there was a huge risk he would become very unhappy and we'd lose even that 20 million. And he would have because he might have not won Copa if we kept him against his will.

And otherwise about the Athletic article, I'm happy that someone else explained all the logic behind this transfer so I don't have to.

Although the wise men of AM will repeat all the non-sense anyway for Ages, until the Creator of All decides he has had enough of this World and presses the red or blue button.

 

[drippin]

@Riou He isn't even that ugly, you liar! He is kinda cute in those photos, and not even in the baby way.

Anyway, I have had my own jokes about him, as he reminds me a bit of a big baby. But really, he is a tough bastard, surviving all those relegation teams and experiences and rising from them.

Here is the interview I shared earlier, to get a feel of the guy. Especially as the interview is about relegation. Very mature.

What is interesting in this interview, is that he says he took too much pressure to prove his worth in the start of the season and things went wrong. And then he was their best player.

Now he has the same here, but hopefully he has learnt.

 

[Pulp]

Watched the first interview on the clubs page. I think he comes out of it really well. Seems like an ambitious player who wants to embrace the challenge by coming to the club. Obviously the only thing that really matters is his performance on the pitch, but at least he seems like he will fit in with the squad well.

 

[Penn_]

It’s funny that the actual context of this is him crying to the club for reassurance.

 

[sdotzdot]

He’s so average. Probably better than Leno, but barely enough to justify the price. What an absolutely stupid decision, but Arteta wanted him and these clowns decided to back him.

Not even a club anymore, just Artetas FM save (spoiler: we get relegated)

 

[MNUS]

This really is prime banter FC after favouring that turd Leno and selling Emi for half as much, not Ramsdales fault though and the folks attacking on him on Twitter before even pulling on the shirt are disgusting they proper need sorting out.