AARON RAMSDALE may well see this weekend as his last chance saloon – one final shot at redemption in his bid to win back the Arsenal No1 jersey.
In truth, he should not lose any sleep about it.
His fate has already been sealed, and has been for a while. He should have had one eye on the exit door the minute David Raya was brought in on loan from Brentford in August.
Ramsdale will make his first Premier League appearance since November 25 on Saturday with Raya ineligible to face the Bees.
What a story arc it would be if Ramsdale produced a sensational, match-winning performance, reclaimed his spot and lifted the Premier League title come May.
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Not even a Hollywood director would risk writing that script. It just will not happen, not under boss Mikel Arteta.
Barring a major injury or an unlikely collapse in the £30million permanent transfer of Raya in the summer, that No1 role at the Emirates will now never come back around.
It is why Ramsdale – regardless of how well he plays in what could be his final game for Arsenal – needs out of North London, for the sake of his own career, his own sanity.
How football can change. How brutal and unforgiving it can be.
In May last year, Ramsdale was named in the PFA Team of the Year after a starring role in Arsenal’s title charge, playing every minute in the Prem. The fans adored him.
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Soon after, he signed a contract extension until 2026. Life was good. Following five separate transfers in six years in his career, he admitted he never wanted to leave Arsenal.
He said at the time: “I don’t want to move around anymore. I want to see out my football here.”
Almost 12 months on, ahead of just his sixth Prem game this season, and Ramsdale is preparing to offer himself up for yet another move, one he hopes can be his forever home, but this Arsenal departure will sting for a while.
A sceptic may argue this heartbreak was always on the cards. Arteta tried and failed to sign Raya from Brentford in 2020.
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A year later, he settled on Ramsdale for £30m from Sheffield United.
Arteta himself describes the gamble he took on Ramsdale as “controversial”, one that seemed to pay off as the young keeper went from strength to strength.
But we now know that Ramsdale was just a stopgap. When Raya became available last summer with 11 months left on his contract, Arteta pounced without hesitation.
It is like marrying someone because your childhood sweetheart was taken, only to swoop at the chance when they suddenly become single again.
Arteta is not the sort of manager to pre-warn a player about signing competition in their position, nor is he one to give assurances or make promises regarding game time.
He is much like his mentor Pep Guardiola in that respect.
At Manchester City back in 2016, Pep brutally axed long-standing No1 Joe Hart. Much like Ramsdale, the Englishman had done little wrong. Pep merely wanted something different.
The ex-Barcelona boss described it as one of the hardest decisions he has ever had to make as a manager, ending 29-year-old Hart’s 12-year stint at the Etihad, and ultimately his England career, making just 12 more appearances after that.
AN AWKWARD ENVIRONMENT
In his pre-Brentford press conference, Arteta said of Ramsdale: “One of the toughest things is dealing with the players that don’t have the game time they deserve.
“We try to be straight, explain things, be close to them and give them support. Then when they have the opportunity, they want to contribute to the team in the best possible way.”
Ramsdale played the first four Prem games of the season, only to be benched for Raya in Arsenal’s 1-0 away win at Everton on September 17.
Two Carabao Cup appearances followed before a Prem return on November 25 at Brentford, where an error-strewn display almost cost the Gunners victory.
Raya’s start was not perfect either, clearly feeling the pressure of being “the replacement” – an awkward environment of Arteta’s own doing.
Ramsdale may have thought he had a way back in, especially as Raya struggled in a narrow 4-3 win at Luton in December – but eight wins from their next 12 quashed those hopes.
With Raya in between the sticks for the last 14 Prem games on the spin, Arsenal’s defence has transformed into one of the best in England, conceding just 23 goals in 27 games.
Across the top five divisions in Europe, only Inter Milan [13], Real Madrid [18] and Juventus [21] have better records after the same number of games this season.
So, what now for Ramsdale?
With his Euros hopes hanging by a thread, a No1 spot at a Premier League club next season may be the only way to convince Gareth Southgate to keep him in and around the Three Lions squad, or perhaps a move abroad?
Chelsea and Newcastle are monitoring the situation, perhaps the only two top-flight clubs willing and able to spend a sizeable amount on a young English keeper.
Arsenal sporting director Edu will want to make as much money back on him as possible, but the issue is Ramsdale’s declining value as the weeks go by.
When Hart left City, his loan switch to Italy’s Torino was ill-timed, before unsuccessful spells at West Ham, Burnley and Tottenham.
At 36, he is set to retire at Celtic this summer, away from the limelight.
Ramsdale knows his next move is vital – his career at the elite level may depend on it.
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