Arsenal’s easy Sam Johnstone & Aaron Ramsdale transfer decision

Arsenal Should Sign Sam Johnstone Over Aaron Ramsdale

Arsenal’s number one choice to bring in this summer is Ramsdale. Their interest is genuine and with the European Championships over there is expected to be activity on that front.

But are the Gunners looking at Ramsdale because they want him or is it merely because he is the best of a hugely uninspiring bunch? He ticks the boxes for being homegrown and young, and that is about it. Not composed from wide deliveries and slapdash in and around the box, his footwork would also require work.

As The Athletic put it, Arsenal want someone who will ‘vie with Leno for the number one jersey’. People may criticise Leno but if Ramsdale arrives he will be just as comfortable in the first choice spot. There is no obvious threat to his position.

Moreover, with ludicrous fees being thrown around of £35m it’s not surprise that Arsenal are keeping their options open with Johnstone.

Available for around £20m less, even if they were both valued equally the only benefit Ramsdale has over Johnstone is that he’s younger – the West Brom stopper is 28.

Considered superior at international level, Johnstone is also the superior choice. If he was five years younger it wouldn’t involve any debating at all.

A drum that has been banged all summer is Andre Onana. Costing far less than either of the other two, his signing would be the easiest of all were it not for the troubles in shifting Leno. The Cameroonian understandably wants guarantees of the number one jersey and with the German on the books Arsenal can’t provide that.

They should be able to anyway, mind you.

Leading themselves down a path where they’ve narrowed down their options to two relegated goalkeepers who are not much better than ‘good’, it’s now slim pickings. With the profile they’re after, if they have to go for one, then it’s Johnstone: financially and quality wise, it’s him.

Backup goalkeepers don’t tend to excite. However, these moves in general feel rather flat.