Aaron Ramsdale's complicated situation at Arsenal - explained

Aaron Ramsdale has long looked destined to leave Arsenal, but his future now looks anything but straightforward.

It is no secret that Ramsdale has wanted to leave Arsenal for some time, as he seeks regular playing time after losing his starting place to David Raya last season.

While his exit from the club looked to be a formality heading into the summer transfer window, the situation has grown complicated and now his future, whether it be at Arsenal or elsewhere, looks uncertain.

So with Ramsdale keen to leave, and Arsenal willing, and perhaps even eager, to cash in on the England international, you would be forgiven for not understanding the slight complexities of his current situation.

Here, I will lay out exactly the current circumstances surrounding his future and possible departure, as he nears the end of his participation at Euro 2024.

Keen to leave

Ramsdale has not made a secret of his desire to be a first-choice goalkeeper next season and, with Raya officially signing permanently for Arsenal last week, Ramsdale's chances of achieving that in north London look slim to none.

This means that he would need to seal a transfer away from the club, which has been the expectation for much of the last season.

It is important to note that Ramsdale's desire to leave is based solely on his desire to play regularly, and not because of any other issue between him and the club.

During England's Euro 2024 camp, Ramsdale offered an insight into his situation, saying: “No footballer wants to not play. I’ve had a tough year personally not playing and I never want to do that again. But when you come to the national team, when you find your role, when you know your role, which Gareth [Southgate] is very good at speaking to you about, your mentality changes.”

He continued: “It was tough [being on the bench for Arsenal], it was tough. But I have my release now, I’m now here [in the England camp], I’ve got the greatest honour, the greatest badge on my chest. If I play a minute or no minutes, it will be the pinnacle for me, the best day ever.”

Valuation and lack of interest

It has been widely reported that Arsenal value Ramsdale at ~£42.3m (€50m), a fee that would see the Gunners make a tidy profit on the former Sheffield United shot-stopper, three years after his arrival at the club.

This valuation has certainly proved a stumbling block for drawing interest in the 26-year-old, with many clubs simply unable, or unwilling, to invest such a large sum of money in a goalkeeper, especially after he has spent the best part of a year not playing.

To make matters worse, two of the teams who were the most interested in securing Ramsdale's services ahead of next season are no longer pursuing the Arsenal man.

Chelsea had long been linked with a move for Ramsdale but, after appointing former Leicester City boss Enzo Maresca as their new manager, the Italian made his desire to work with current goalkeeper Robert Sanchez clear - ruling out any potential move for another goalkeeper.

Newcastle United were also very keen on Ramsdale for a long time, but have since signed Odysseas Vlachodimos from Nottingham Forest, while they are also rumoured to be interested in Georgian international Giorgi Mamardashvili.

The only other widely-reported interest comes from Liverpool but, given the presence of Alisson Becker as a clear starter for the Reds, any move there would fail to achieve Ramsdale's goal of regular football and, thus, makes little sense - and looks highly unlikely. Not to mention that Liverpool would not spend £42.3m on a backup goalkeeper.

So with previously interested teams now moving on and a general lack of interest from elsewhere, securing a transfer looks as though it will be tricky business for Ramsdale and Arsenal.

Replacement already lined up

Despite Ramsdale still being an Arsenal player, and seeming far from a transfer away from the club, the Gunners have reportedly already lined up his replacement.

Arsenal have reportedly identified Espanyol shot-stopper Joan Garcia as their ideal replacement for Ramsdale, with the 23-year-old said to be available for just £21m (€25m).

But with Tottenham, Liverpool and Real Madrid all also said to be monitoring the Spaniard ahead of a potential transfer, the lack of clarity over Ramsdale's future could disrupt their plans to sign the Espanyol star.

If Arsenal do fail in their efforts to sign Garcia, they are also reported to hold interest in Real Madrid's Andriy Lunin, who has caught the eye this season in the absence of the injured Thibaut Courtois - with the Ukrainian proving to be a hero in Los Blancos' UEFA Champions League campaign.

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