Souness tells £60m Arsenal star to use Man Utd ‘example’ to ‘right injustice’ by snubbing transfer
Graeme Souness thinks England international Aaron Ramsdale should follow the Harry Maguire-Manchester United ‘example’ and remain at Arsenal.
Ramsdale is currently ranked as the 18th best goalkeeper in the Premier League but he has been a standout performer for the Gunners in recent years.
Despite barely putting a foot wrong for Arsenal over the past couple of seasons, Mikel Arteta decided to recruit David Raya during the summer transfer window. The Spain international has joined them on an initial loan deal and they can sign him permanently from Brentford next year for £27m.
Raya has endured a rough start at Arsenal as he has made a couple of clear mistakes during the opening weeks of the season.
The Spaniard is still firmly placed as Arteta’s first-choice goalkeeper so Ramsdale may not play a lot in the lead-up to next year’s European Championships.
Souness has encouraged Ramsdale to ‘do his own fighting’ and ‘look at the example of Maguire’ as his situation ‘can change’.
‘It is time for Aaron Ramsdale to do his own fighting, rather than his dad doing it for him after his appearance on a podcast this week,’ Souness wrote for The Daily Mail.
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‘The Arsenal goalkeeper has to show what he is made of and deal with the situation in which he finds himself. Mikel Arteta fancies David Raya more than he does Ramsdale right now, but that can change.
‘I would ask him to look at the example of Harry Maguire. He took all the criticism on the chin, all the disappointment. He dealt with it and finds himself back in the team at Manchester United. Scott McTominay, too. He was being pushed out the door at the start of the season, and now he’s in the side. That’s football.
‘For Ramsdale, this a tough, mental challenge. He cannot point to anything he’s done wrong on a consistent basis that has cost him his place in the team. Sport at the highest level can be cruel and can be seen to be unfair.
‘But there is only one person who can right that perceived injustice — and it’s not Ramsdale’s dad.’
Arteta recently warned Ramsdale – who has been linked with a £60m move to Chelsea – against making an “early” transfer decision.
“Making early decisions, in my experience, is not something good at all and as well because the team has certain needs that has to be accomplished,” Arteta told reporters.
“And in order to do that you cannot do it with six, 10 or 14 players. It is impossible. So you need everyone and Aaron has a really important role in the team.
“I have no messages for any clubs (who may look to sign Ramsdale). I can talk a little bit about my players, how much I like my players, how much I like Aaron and that we want Aaron with us, that’s for sure.”
