Arsenal signing Aaron Ramsdale this window was a mistake

Arsenal Could Have Spent the Ramsdale Money Elsewhere

If Arsenal get through the current campaign finishing in eighth place again with Leno starting 98% of the Premier League fixtures, the £30m parted with for Ramsdale won’t look like especially shrewd business.

An investment that may, we hope, pay off, if Arteta watches on at a similarly sluggish midfield that continues to see build-up play slowed down to excruciating levels where the forwards only assume possession in low-threat zones then, well, he won’t be here anymore.

And that £30m on Ramsdale who only plays the occasional Carabao Cup game could be his undoing. Noted that Arteta really pushed for the 23-year-old this summer, with an Arsenal rebuild leaning entirely on the side of youth and development and not instant impact experience, the gaps in the strategy are there.

Supporters have rallied behind the idea of bringing the age of the squad down in the manner it has been done, but nobody can deny that the window lacks an injection of immediate authority and presence to move the needle of the starting lineup.

Ramsdale had no interest elsewhere in his signature. No club wanted to meet the Blades’ high demands.

Were Arsenal to have revisited the deal in the coming summer then Ramsdale would have been cheaper and there might be some European football for him to get his teeth sunk into. It’s a deal that could have had the groundwork done in advance. It’s proactive of the club to sign the replacement first but usually they don’t cost £30m and are limited to a handful of outings.

At the risk of being revisionist, yes, it’s true loan deals and stop-gaps have to end at Arsenal. But, on this one occasion, if a season-long loan for a goalkeeper would have meant going out and truly reshaping the midfield before going back for Ramsdale in 12 months’ time, then it would have been a worthwhile trade-off.

Of course, this may turn out completely the other way.

Ramsdale may usurp Leno before the season’s end and play a vital role in securing Arsenal points that lift them back into the European places. He could save a penalty in the FA Cup final that wins the club a trophy and books a spot in the Europa League.

Who knows.

But if you were looking at probability this season, then seeing the same midfield that has been troublesome over the years left untouched barring the addition of a 21-year-old while £30m worth of goalkeeper plays Wimbledon in the energy drink cup hints towards the less favourable outcome.

All of this, granted, being easy to say with the help of hindsight. Yet, did anyone think £30m on a backup goalkeeper was wise at the time? It didn’t seem to be.