Things haven’t gone according to plan for England custodian, Aaron Ramsdale, at Arsenal this season.
The former Gunners number one has seen his place taken by David Raya, and news that the north Londoners will make the Spaniard’s move permanent in 2024 surely sounds the death knell for Ramsdale’s Arsenal career.
Mikel Arteta appears to still be trying his level best to manipulate the keeper into staying at the club by suggesting that his role is still important, and yet, aside from his appearance against Brentford this Saturday afternoon – Raya can’t play against his parent club – Ramsdale will almost certainly be straight back on the bench.
For a player of his calibre, that’s not only soul destroying but will have a detrimental effect on his career. At just 25 years of age, the player can’t allow that to happen.
Simply put, for the sake of his future and his mental wellbeing, he has to move on as soon as practicable.
As Fabrizio Romano notes, however, that might not be as easy as Ramsdale hopes.
‘There are no changes at the moment and it’s still the same situation for Aaron Ramsdale as we mentioned in recent weeks,’ he wrote in his Daily Briefing for CaughtOffside.
‘It’s not easy for good goalkeepers like Ramsdale to move, because you need an important club to come in for him, and it’s not always easy to find that. So, there’s a chance for him to stay until the summer if no clubs will appear.’
Of course, Ramsdale’s current situation hasn’t been helped by the fact that his father has appeared on podcasts to lambast Arteta’s treatment of his son.
The shot stopper is a big boy and he doesn’t need family members fighting his battles for him.
Potential employers looking at that situation might well think twice if they believe there could be trouble ahead with the wider family, should they make a decision that doesn’t find favour.
If the status quo doesn’t change until at least the summer, Ramsdale may as well kiss goodbye to getting a place in the England squad for Euro 2024 too.