Such a fee would come close to breaking a transfer world record
(Image credit: Alamy)
Aaron Ramsdale's Arsenal nightmare could almost be over, with Newcastle emerging as a surprise suitor for the out-of-favour Gunners goalkeeper.
A £24m arrival from Sheffield United in the summer of 2021, Ramsdale, 25, immediately claimed the number one jersey in North London – and held onto it last season, playing every minute of every Premier League game.
However, manager Mikel Arteta opted to change things up between the sticks early in the current campaign, replacing the England international with David Raya.
Aaron Ramsdale has had to make do with a place on the Arsenal bench for most of this season (Image credit: Alamy)
As such, Ramsdale's future has been the subject of much speculation in recent months, and the summer transfer window could well see him make an exit from the Emirates Stadium.
Reports of interest from Newcastle come as something of a shock – fellow Three Lions 'keeper Nick Pope would take some dislodging as first choice – but even more eyebrow-raising is the price tag being touted.
According to TEAMtalk, Arsenal have slapped an enormous £60m price tag on Ramsdale. Such a fee would make him the second-most expensive shot-stopper of all time, behind only Kepa Arrizabalaga – who joined Chelsea for £71.6m from Athletic Bilbao back in 2018.
Has Ramsdale played his last game for Arsenal? (Image credit: Alamy)
Incidentally, Chelsea are also said to be keen on Ramsdale – although the Blues' incumbent, Djordje Petrovic, has impressed since replacing Robert Sanchez, keeping his place in the side long after the Spaniard's return to fitness.
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In any case, though, Arsenal seem to see Raya as their long-term number one, and the conversion of his loan move from Brentford into a permanent deal should be a formality.
That would surely spell the end of Ramsdale's Gunners career; he's simply too good to warm the bench.
Tom Hancock started freelancing for FourFourTwo in April 2019 and has also written for the Premier League and Opta Analyst, among others. He supports Wycombe Wanderers and has a soft spot for Wealdstone. A self-confessed statto, he has been known to watch football with a spreadsheet (or several) open...
