Fabrizio Romano has offered a transfer update on one player who Newcastle United have been tracking for a number of months now.
Newcastle were unable to spend in January but that didn’t stop them from showing interest in a number of targets who they could possibly target for the summer.
Aaron Ramsdale was one of those names mentioned and speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano claimed that he will be leaving Arsenal this summer amid links that Newcastle could make a move for the shot-stopper.
Romano thinks Ramsdale must leave Arsenal
Since the arrival of David Raya from Brentford, Ramsdale has been second choice at Arsenal despite being told by Mikel Arteta in the previous campaign that he would be the number one shot-stopper.
Arsenal spent around £30m to sign the England international from Sheffield United in the summer of 2021 before deciding that he wasn’t good enough to take them to the very top.
As Raya was only on loan from Brentford, Ramsdale made his first Premier League appearance since November against the Bees, though it’s believed that this was probably his last game in an Arsenal shirt.
Now, Romano thinks that there is no way back for the 25-year-old who will explore his options and try to find a new club in the summer amid rumours that Newcastle are looking for a new goalkeeper.
On Ramsdale, Romano said: “But for Ramsdale, in the summer, it’s going to be time to look at new solutions because he wants to play. He can’t stay at Arsenal and be on the bench regularly.
“That’s why Arsenal will look at opportunities for Ramsdale but also Ramsdale himself will explore options around the market to find a new solution.”
Ramsdale isn’t a huge upgrade on Nick Pope for Newcastle
Nick Pope often gets a lot of criticism because of how he plays with the ball at his feet and his lack of distribution which is very important for a goalkeeper in the modern era.
Ramsdale has been presented as a possible alternative replacement for the long term, but the stats from last season suggest things aren’t quite so black and white.
In terms of distribution, Pope actually has a slightly higher pass completion rate at 69% and completes 10% more long-range passes than Ramsdale, suggesting the Arsenal man wouldn’t be that much of an upgrade.
Looking more at their shot-stopping stats, Pope again has a higher save percentage than Ramsdale with both keeping 14 clean sheets in the previous campaign.
So, while Ramsdale may be the younger and more modern option, Pope looks to be outperforming or at least matching his output for Arsenal and Eddie Howe will have a big decision to make this summer.
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