While the Gunners only had the option to make the loan permanent when Raya came on loan in August, he extended his contract with Brentford before leaving, indicating that Arteta was still considering his options before settling on one goalkeeper.
The Arsenal manager claimed that Raya’s signing was just done to increase competition for the first team. He even said he would be willing to replace his goalkeeper during a match in the same manner as he would a forward or a midfielder.
Ramsdale played just three games before Raya replaced him on the roster, and the England international has only made one appearance since—in the Carabao Cup—contrary to what Arteta’s remarks regarding his selection dilemma had led many to believe.
Although Raya has kept four clean sheets in his six games for his new team, Arteta’s reluctance to declare the Spaniard his number one has raised frequent concerns about who will start in goal the following match. However, the manager’s most recent remarks suggested that Ramsdale may now just have to wait for his chance rather than receiving rotational minutes.
Before this weekend’s match between Arsenal and Chelsea, Arteta observed, “It’s not easy for any player who isn’t playing as much as they’d like to.” “The only way to do it is to work harder, to contribute to the team in different ways, and, when you get the chance, to do your best and try to help the team to win,” said the author.
Ramsdale is’suffering and aching’ as a result of Arsenal déjà vu.
Ramsdale’s replacement could be seen as unfair given that he was a member of the PFA Team of the Year the previous year and contributed to Arsenal’s second-place finish in the Premier League.
However, the 25-year-old made several mistakes toward the conclusion of the previous season and started the current one by maintaining just one clean sheet in his first four games.
Given the similarities to Ramsdale’s arrival at Arsenal in 2021, when Arteta spent £24 million to replace the dependable Bernd Leno, the sudden benching seemed possibly ironic.
Ironically, despite Raya’s superior passing skills forcing Arteta to swap his keeper once more and enforce his play style even more, Ramsdale’s talent with the ball at his feet was a major improvement over Leno’s.
Ramsdale has acknowledged that his current circumstances have left him “suffering and hurting,” and that his chance to succeed Jordan Pickford as England’s starting goalkeeper for the European Championships next summer is rapidly dwindling.
The strongest evidence that the fight for Arsenal’s top job has ended, with one man chosen to manage the Gunners moving ahead, comes from Ramsdale and Arteta’s comments as well as rumors that Raya’s loan agreement will now become permanent.
