Arsenal’s easy Sam Johnstone & Aaron Ramsdale transfer decision

Pre-season is underway for Arsenal which means the actual Premier League season is just around the corner. Final feelings on Mikel Arteta and Edu’s business in the transfer window must stay reserved for August 31 but it’s getting to the stage where deals need to start materialising.

It wasn’t a fairytale non-competitive debut for Arthur Okonkwo against Hibernian. An error-strewn 45 minutes will unfortunately have painted him in a bad light for supporters who hadn’t chance to see him in between the sticks. At 19 years old he’ll learn and there is no sense or reason to dwell on a performance where nerves, or excitement, clearly got the better of him.

Remarkably at his age he was the only senior goalkeeper Arteta had to choose from at Easter Road. Bernd Leno has been granted time off following his excursions with Germany at the Euros and will likely be back in time for the trip to the USA, meanwhile Alex Runarsson was nowhere to be seen.

Set to depart this window to join a Turkish side few would have heard of until the reports emerged, him not travelling to Scotland indicates that this deal is near conclusion. It’s unsure whether it will be a permanent deal or a loan move.

Arsenal have easy Sam Johnstone and Aaron Ramsdale transfer decision as Mikel Arteta eyes goalkeeper signing in summer window

In truth there is little sense in a temporary departure for a player who quite simply isn’t at the standard required for Arsenal. And that’s saying something.

Okonkwo will get another chance on Saturday for the clash with Rangers and Karl Hein is behind him waiting for his opportunity, but the Estonian is a not a first team squad member and Okonkwo and Leno will head into the season, as it is, as the only two.

As a result the goalkeeping situation has been heavily speculated throughout the window despite it initially being an area of minor concern. There is still an acceptance that Leno will be sold if the right offers arrives, one the German would be open to, yet as the window draws on with no concrete interest that grows increasingly unlikely.

Even with him staying another stopper will have to be brought in, one with a particular trait. The desire for a homegrown option in that department has been made clear from reliable sources during the window, hence why links to Aaron Ramsdale have gathered momentum.

He’s not the only one though, with The Athletic adding to previous reports of interest in West Brom’s Sam Johnstone.

Arsenal have well and truly messed up their goalkeeping department.

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Arsenal Have Made Squad Building Errors With Goalkeeper

This summer demonstrates the poor squad building from Edu and co. Arsenal had a homegrown keeper in Emiliano Martinez and sold him over Bernd Leno.

It was right to sell one of them as £20m can’t be scoffed at, and the only reason it was Martinez was because there were no takers for Leno. No need going over old stories on this one.

But having sold a homegrown number one goalkeeper Arsenal find themselves scraping the barrel for an average replacement. Neither Johnstone nor Ramsdale are excellent options.

Inaki Cana responded to Martinez’s sale by instructing the Gunners to go out and sign one of the worst goalkeepers this club has seen for some time, who wasn’t even homegrown. Runarsson is on his way out now after being signed for £1.8m having made a grand total of six appearances.

Evidently at no stage did anyone think having a homegrown goalkeeper would be important. This despite making pre-meditated decisions to move on a vast number of Hale End players from the squad this summer.

It would appear they’ve realised the error of their ways. Hindsight is a wonderful thing but Martinez with a cheaper, non-homegrown option as backup could’ve have been a fairly perfect scenario. Instead, it appears to be coming down to Johnstone or Ramsdale.

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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.