Arsenal pick Aaron Ramsdale replacement after Edu 'rejects opening Ajax bid'

Arsenal have rejected Ajax’s approach to sign goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale on loan, according to reports. The Gunners are keen for their back-up stopper to leave permanently, and sporting director Edu has already sought out a possible replacement.

Ramsdale has hardly been given a look-in since David Raya usurped him as Mikel Arteta’s No 1. Ramsdale was brutally replaced between the sticks in the early stages of last season, despite featuring heavily in Arsenal’s close brush with the title in 2022/23.

Now 26 years old and struggling for regular football, Ramsdale is expected to move on before the summer transfer deadline. According to The Athletic, Dutch giants Ajax have offered him an escape route by presenting Arsenal with a loan proposal.

However, the Gunners have turned down the approach in the hope that Ajax will come back with a permanent bid. Arsenal forked out a package worth £30million to sign Ramsdale from Sheffield United in 2021 and recouping a slice of that fee would be a bonus for Edu.

Ramsdale scraped into the England squad Gareth Southgate took to Euro 2024 but the former Bournemouth goalkeeper may benefit from a fresh start if he is to avoid being overtaken by other international hopefuls.

The report adds that Espanyol’s Joan Garcia has been pinpointed by Arsenal as a possible replacement for Ramsdale. Garcia is capped for Spain up to Under-21 level and, at 23 years old, fits the mould of a reserve goalkeeper content to sit behind Raya.

Arteta has spoken little about Ramsdale’s future since dropping him to the bench, while making it clear that he would prefer him to stay put. “I want Aaron with us,” he said last December. “I am very happy to have two very, very good goalkeepers and Aaron is staying with us (in January).”

Ramsdale did end up sticking it out until the end of campaign, and in April, Arteta refused to rule out the Englishman remaining in his ranks for another campaign. “There is a big reality that Aaron is here (in 2024/25) because he is our player and he has a contract,” Arteta said.

Arsenal rounded off pre-season with wins over Bundesliga high-flyers Bayer Leverkusen and Ligue 1 giants Lyon. Arteta and co will hope to take that momentum into their Premier League opener against Wolves at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday afternoon.