Aaron Ramsdale has made it clear that he does not want a repeat of the season which saw him lose his place as Arsenal’s number one goalkeeper to David Raya. Speaking while away at the European Championships, the former Sheffield United stopper made his view transparent.
“No footballer wants to not play,” he told talkSPORT. “I’ve had a tough year personally not playing and I never want to do that again.
“It was tough, it was tough. But I have my release now, I’m now here, I’ve got the greatest honour, the greatest badge on my chest, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, if I play a minute or no minutes, it will be the pinnacle for me, the best day ever.”
However, the move for Garcia would only happen should Ramsdale leave and so far that reality has struggled to emerge. There had been suggestions that Newcastle United were keen on the player however Arsenal’s expectations on the England international’s price have seen Eddie Howe’s side target Burnley’s James Trafford instead.
There have been varying claims surrounding the asking price from £30million all the way to £50million. Arsenal are keen to make a profit on the player signed for an initial £24million back in 2021 and having seen him sign an extension last summer, the club have plenty of control when it comes to dictating the price.
That said, sporting director Edu is under scrutiny to improve the club’s selling reputation. Being unable to secure a profit on Ramsdale would be followed by criticism and the club would certainly benefit from a good sale to reinvest not just in a replacement like Garcia but other positions too.
Yet if no club is willing to meet the price tag then what do Arsenal do? Keep a player who has spoken openly of an insistence that another season as the number two will not happen or sell for below, perhaps far below, their asking price and face the criticism anyway?
This is the scenario that Edu and the club faces. From their perspective however, they know Ramsdale is a true professional and has never wavered from his responsibilities despite being in an unfavourable position – there remain plenty of unknowns in this particular case that may not be resolved in the short term.
