Arsenal’s reported pursuit of Aaron Ramsdale is on the verge of collapsing, with the Gunners unwilling to meet Sheffield United’s £35 million valuation.
According to The Athletic, Arsenal are set to make a transfer U-turn on Aaron Ramsdale. The Sheffield United goalkeeper was on the verge of a move to Emirates, but it appears the Gunners are set to miss out following disagreements of the transfer fee.
Sheffield United are holding out for a fee of £35 million for Ramsdale, despite being relegated from the Premier League last season. Arsenal are prepared to pay only half of that amount, effectively putting the negotiations in jeopardy.
There is no doubt that Ramsdale himself will be keen on making the move to Arsenal, having emerged as one of the best performing goalkeepers in the Premier League last term. He is highly rated by Mikel Arteta himself, who had been following the progress of the former Bournemouth shot-stopper for well over a year now.
The English goalkeeping ace was identified as the desired replacement for Bernd Leno. The current Arsenal number one is not wanted at the Emirates after a disappointing 2020/21 campaign.
However, missing out on Ramsdale could serve as a blessing in disguise for Arsenal. The Gunners are yet to find a suitor for Leno, which is a difficult task indeed in the current financial climate. As such, the arrival of the Sheffield United ace could have further stacked the club’s goalkeeping unit, demoting Leno as the second-choice in between the sticks.
Spending anything around the £20 million mark also seems bizarre for a team that has glaring weaknesses in the other areas of the pitch. Despite being linked with a move for James Maddison, Arsenal are yet to find a proper replacement for Martin Odegaard, meaning their number ten slot still remains vacant.
The same can be said for the goalscoring department, even though the Gunners are keen on offloading Alexandre Lacazette. Arsenal have been linked with several star players in the market, but they cannot make a move without selling the Frenchman and potentially a few more unwanted stars.
As for Sheffield United, Ramsdale’s prolonged stay at Bramall Lane is certainly interesting. But whether that would help Arsenal make a push for an immediate return to the Premier League remains to be seen.
