Arsenal: Arteta makes Ramsdale decision amid Chelsea interest and desire for ‘first-team football’

Mikel Arteta will not allow out-of-favour goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale to leave Arsenal in the winter transfer window, according to reports.

Ramsdale joined Arsenal from Sheffield United for an initial fee believed to be in the region of £24million in August 2021.

He almost instantly leapfrogged Bernd Leno in Arteta’s goalkeeping pecking order and following his debut, the England star only missed one Premier League clash before the start of the 2023/24 campaign.

The 25-year-old signed a new three-year contract, with the option for a further year, in May, but Arteta shocked us all with the summer acquisition of Brentford shot-stopper David Raya.

Ramsdale kept his place in the Gunners’ starting XI until the Premier League clash at Everton on September 17.

His only appearance since then came in the Carabao Cup at Brentford, meaning he has not featured in the Champions League despite being a huge part of his side’s successful road back into the competition.

OPINION: Raya is a better goalkeeper but right now Ramsdale looks a better ‘Arsenal’ goalkeeper

The decision to bring Raya in to be the club’s new No. 1 has raised a few eyebrows.

While Raya is debatably a better goalkeeper than Ramsdale, you have to wonder if he is so much better that all of the noise surrounding the goalkeeper situation is worth it.

Since coming into the starting XI, Raya has kept four clean sheets in eight games but has made a couple of big errors, which is unsurprisingly attracting a lot of attention given Ramsdale’s unexpected bench role.

Given Ramsdale’s reputation and ability, he has been linked with an exit in 2024.

There is believed to be interest from London rivals Chelsea, who brought in Robert Sanchez from Brighton in the summer.

And a report from Football Insider claims Arteta is ‘unwilling’ to let Ramsdale leave Arsenal when the transfer window opens in January.

Even if the England international believes leaving the club is ‘for the best’, the Gunners manager ‘will not sanction an exit’.

This could be a hint that Arteta has not decided whether or not to trigger the £27million buy option in the loan deal for Raya, although not doing so feels fairly unlikely.

Unsurprisingly, Ramsdale ‘wants first-team football’ with Euro 2024 just around the corner and at this moment in time, he is not getting that in north London.

Arsenal are ‘aware’ of the noise ‘surrounding the goalkeeper berth’ but have all but ruled out selling the former Blades ‘keeper to Chelsea during the season.

In 41 appearances last term, Ramsdale conceded 46 goals and kept 15 clean sheets.

READ MORE: Premier League keepers ranked: David Raya still ahead of Sanchez, Onana, Ederson