Aaron Ramsdale Transfer News: Why Southampton will stay up following capture of Arsenal goalkeeper

 

After struggling to offload their deadwood in recent years, Arsenal have seen a handful of first-team players depart during this summer’s transfer window, as Mikel Arteta trims his squad. 

 

The latest player to depart the Gunners is goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, who has now completed a Deadline Day move to Southampton, for a reported £25 million. 

 

The Saints were initially believed to be negotiating for a season-long loan deal, with an option or obligation to buy Ramsdale at the end of the season, but ultimately a permanent transfer was agreed. 

 

Ramsdale’s switch is a move that should, truly, benefit all parties involved.

 

Arsenal cash in on a goalkeeper who is unlikely to usurp David Raya and re-claim the number one spot at the club, Ramsdale gets back to playing week in week out, and Southampton address their most glaring weakspot.

 

The Saints’ need for a new first-choice goalkeeper comfortable with the ball at their feet has only grown greater over the course of the summer, and, indeed, into the beginning of the season. 

 

Following an Achilles injury to then first-choice stopper Gavin Bazunu back in April, veteran ‘keeper Alex McCarthy stepped in as the Saints pushed for Championship promotion through the play-offs. 

 

To give credit where it is due, McCarthy was faultless throughout that play-off campaign, putting in a particularly impressive performance in the Saints’ semi-final first-leg away to West Bromwich Albion. 

 

Fast-forward to the opening day of the Premier League season, though, and Southampton supporters were all in unanimous agreement that the 32-year-old would need replacing before the transfer deadline. 

 

McCarthy looked relatively comfortable in Southampton’s opening game at Newcastle, up until the stroke of half-time, that was, when he hesitated on the ball before firing a panicked pass towards the one team-mate who was not expecting it. Alexander Isak pounced before quickly finding Joelinton, who punished McCarthy - and Saints - for the way they choose to play from the back. 

 

Russell Martin’s footballing philosophy is perhaps one of the most well-defined in the country, let alone the Premier League. He demands his team dominate the ball, confident that the chances of winning are greater if you have more of it than less of it - so much so that only Paris Saint-Germain are averaging a higher possession percentage (72.4) than Southampton (71.2) in Europe’s top five leagues this season. 

 

So for a team insistent on playing from the back, in their way, does Ramsdale offer an upgrade on Saints’ existing options? The answer is yes, obviously. 

 

The England international may not be the Premier League’s best ball-playing goalkeeper - that became evident when Mikel Arteta sought a player more adept at that part of the game, in David Raya - but his all-round ability is a substantial upgrade on current No 1 McCarthy. 

 

In his last full season as Arsenal’s starting ‘keeper, Ramsdale was one of the Premier League’s finest shot-stoppers. His save success rate of 68.1% since the beginning of that campaign (2022/23) is superior to that of Bazunu (60.6%) and McCarthy (59.8%). 

 

 

With the ball at his feet, Ramsdale is not expected to be a major upgrade on Bazunu, but certainly on McCarthy, who was set to play the remainder of the Premier League campaign, at least until the return of the injured No 1. 

 

In the aforementioned time-frame, the former Arsenal man’s pass success rate weighs up at 86.6%, compared with Bazunu’s 87.7% and McCarthy’s 84.6%. 

 

Ramsdale is expected to be far more decisive on the ball, and one strength lies in the moments when he is forced to go long. The 26-year-old is more accurate with his long passes, boasting a respectable 35.8% completion rate in his two seasons as the Gunners’ No 1. 

 

It remains to be seen how the ex-Bournemouth and Sheffield United goalkeeper re-adjusts to life away from a winning side like Arsenal, but one thing is clear; the signing of Ramsdale will give Southampton an enormous boost in a hugely key area, as they bid to beat the drop.

Aaron Ramsdale Transfer News: Why Southampton will stay up following capture of Arsenal goalkeeper