Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers have reportedly emerged as a surprise contender to sign Arsenal shot-stopper Aaron Ramsdale in January.
According to The Daily Star, Wolverhampton Wanderers want to sign out-of-favour Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale on loan with an obligation to make the deal permanent in the upcoming winter transfer window as a potential replacement for current No. 1 Jose Sa, who is attracting interest from Middle Eastern clubs.
After he arrived from Bournemouth for a hefty £30 million, including add-ons, back in 2021 was greeted with stinging criticism by sections of the Arsenal fanbase, Ramsdale has won Gooners over during the past couple of seasons, playing a key role in their unprecedented title charge last term.
However, with Mikel Arteta keen to increase competition in all areas of the pitch, Ramsdale’s undisputed number-one status came under jeopardy this summer as the Gunners snapped up David Raya from Brentford on loan with a £27 million option to buy.
The 25-year-old England international has been ousted by Raya this season, and despite Mikel Arteta’s insistence that he would rotate his goalkeepers, it’s become clear that the England international is very much a second choice at the Emirates. The Spaniard was promoted to the first XI following the September international break and appears to have cemented himself as Arteta’s first choice.
As a result, Ramsdale has been restricted to just three appearances since Raya’s debut, two of which arrived against the Brentford goalkeeper’s parent club, whom he is ineligible to play against, and one against West Ham United in a 3-1 EFL Cup defeat.
Speculation has continued to grow that Ramsdale is not content playing second fiddle to the new signing and wants more game time to boost his bid for the Euro 2024 squad spot, though his underconfident performance at the Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday failed to truly justify why he should restore his position as the Gunners’ first-choice shot-stopper.
If the Spanish boss decides that Raya will remain as his go-to option moving forward, then the January transfer window could provide Ramsdale with the opportunity to cut his stint at the Emirates Stadium short and join a side where he is first-choice, with Wolves the latest contender to be linked with securing his services.
Wolves have received lots of interest from Saudi Arabian sides over goalkeeper Jose Sa and have identified Ramsdale as their priority target replacement. Manager Gary O’Neil is open to selling Sa if his £35 million price tag is met, and they could lure Stoke-born Ramsdale back up to the Midlands with more regular game time.
Due to a limited transfer budget to work with, Wolves would like Ramsdale on loan, which is of course a formula that Arsenal have ruled out, but with an obligation to buy, things could become interesting should the Gunners find an apt replacement.
It will be interesting to see what Ramsdale’s stance is on Wolves’ interest in him, having been open about his support for their rivals West Brom and giving the Black Country outfit fans plenty of stick and getting involved in winding them up whenever he plays against them in the past. As the transfer window looms, the situation surrounding Ramsdale will be one to watch closely.