Going into last season it was fair to say that Bernd Leno was one of the only players that Arsenal should be building around, but mistakes did creep into his game and you do get the impression that Mikel Arteta doesn’t fully trust him.
That’s resulted in a few links to keepers this summer, and Sheffield United goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale has been strongly linked for weeks.
He did play for a relegated side so alarm bells are always ringing there, but he forced his way into the England setup and he looks like he could step up to a bigger club.
The Times have reported that Arsenal’s interest is still there, but they will need to increase their bid to over £32m if they want to sign him this summer.
That would be a lot of money for the Gunners to spend and it probably means he would have to play rather than simply being a backup, but you also have to wonder if he’s a better player than Leno.
The report also says Arsenal have had two bids rejected so it’s clear they are keen to sign him, but time will tell if they are willing to meet these demands.
Bernd Leno was a great keeper when he moved to Arsenal. He’s not trusted now for being error prone. This is because there is always more pressure at a club that is trying to get into top 4 for goalkeepers.
We could have looked for a loan deal for someone like David Raya as backup, while we sign Andre Onana permanently. A lot of this huge investment could be channeled to other needs.
Ramsdale is young and yet to be tested at the highest level. I don’t he’s worth that much.