Sport nationPremier League duo tell Aaron Ramsdale to make Arsenal transfer decision amid David Raya competition
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Arsenal news as the Gunners shot-stopper has been told he could be forced to leave the club in January
Aaron Ramsdale has been told he should leave Arsenal if he’s unhappy at the club
Arsenal legend Thierry Henry and West Ham United striker Michail Antonio have both told Aaron Ramsdale he has to accept Mikel Arteta’s goalkeeping decisions after David Raya’s arrival at the club.
The Gunners manager has caused significant questioning from supporters and pundits alike about the introduction of the Brentford loanee, who has appeared to have usurped the England international in between the sticks. Ramsdale, who has been Arsenal’s number one goalkeeper since his own arrival from Sheffield United two years ago, has been benched for six of the last seven matches with his only appearance coming in a Carabao Cup match against the Bees.
Raya has undoubtedly become Arteta’s first choice, playing in the North London Derby as well as the 1-0 win over Manchester City last weekend. He’s also played in both Champions League group stage matches so far, with the Arsenal boss having already highlighted his plans for the pair in the near future, claiming he is willing to substitute one for the other if it comes to it in a game.
“It’s like this,” Arteta said. “I’m a really young manager. I’ve been in this job for three-and-a-half years and I have few regrets with what I’ve done. One of them was that in two occasions, I felt after 60 minutes and 85 minutes, in two games, in this period, to change the keeper in that moment. But I didn’t do it. I didn’t have the courage to do it. But I’m able to take a winger, or a striker, or but a central defender on to drop to a five and hold that result.
“We drew those games and I was so unhappy. Someone is going to do it, and maybe it will be [me]. That’s strange? Why? Why not? We have all the qualities in another goalkeeper to do something when something is happening and you want to change momentum. Do it. It’s a regret that I have.
“Now my feeling is to get everybody engaged in the team. They have to play, regardless of the competition. We have to do it. This is my message.”
READ MORE:Thierry Henry makes brutal Arsenal admission amid Unai Emery and Mikel Arteta comparison
READ MORE:The Arsenal games Takehiro Tomiyasu will miss as Mikel Arteta details significant blow
Following Arteta’s claims, many have suggested that Ramsdale won’t be happy to simply sit out on the bench, and could find a move away in January to another big club. One of those is Henry, who believes the England goalkeeper must either fight the competition or leave if he’s unhappy.
“You are at a big club. Competition will happen,” Henry explained on the Rest Is Football Podcast. “I am not the coach of Arsenal, but Mikel Arteta went to get a guy that he thinks will win him the title.
“[Aaron] Ramsdale was seen as the guy to get us in the top four again and Bernd Leno went to Fulham. That is the story of football. I can understand with the new generation but there is something that will never change at a big club, you have got to compete. If you don’t compete, someone is going to come.
“If you take Phil Foden, he is a very good player but Manchester City keep buying players. You are at a big club and that’s how it is, and if you are not happy at the big club, then you have got to go.”
Antonio is another who feels as though Ramsdale can only do what Arteta asks of him, and compared it to the situation at his own club between Alphonse Areola and Lukasz Fabianski. He said: “I feel like this has become so big because of how well Arsenal did last year and [Aaron] Ramsdale was their number one.
“The fact that they brought in [David] Raya this year and at the beginning of the season they just threw Raya in for the Premier League games, the media has made it more than it actually is. At the end of the day, the manager makes the decisions and he has chosen to put Raya in. It just is what it is.
“At West Ham right now, we have Alphonse Areola in goal, but for the last five years, Lukasz Fabianski has been unbelievable. He has pulled us out of some unbelievable situations but at the start of the season, the gaffer said to him I am making Alphonse the number one this year.
“It’s because he’s not at Arsenal why it hasn’t been talked about as much. We’ve had to unbelievable and the gaffer has decided that he should be the number one this year. We know, if anything happens to Alphonse, we have got Lukasz and we ain’t worried.”
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Premier League duo tell Aaron Ramsdale to make Arsenal transfer decision amid David Raya competition
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
Arsenal news as the Gunners shot-stopper has been told he could be forced to leave the club in January
Aaron Ramsdale has been told he should leave Arsenal if he’s unhappy at the club
Arsenal legend Thierry Henry and West Ham United striker Michail Antonio have both told Aaron Ramsdale he has to accept Mikel Arteta’s goalkeeping decisions after David Raya’s arrival at the club.
The Gunners manager has caused significant questioning from supporters and pundits alike about the introduction of the Brentford loanee, who has appeared to have usurped the England international in between the sticks. Ramsdale, who has been Arsenal’s number one goalkeeper since his own arrival from Sheffield United two years ago, has been benched for six of the last seven matches with his only appearance coming in a Carabao Cup match against the Bees.
Raya has undoubtedly become Arteta’s first choice, playing in the North London Derby as well as the 1-0 win over Manchester City last weekend. He’s also played in both Champions League group stage matches so far, with the Arsenal boss having already highlighted his plans for the pair in the near future, claiming he is willing to substitute one for the other if it comes to it in a game.
“It’s like this,” Arteta said. “I’m a really young manager. I’ve been in this job for three-and-a-half years and I have few regrets with what I’ve done. One of them was that in two occasions, I felt after 60 minutes and 85 minutes, in two games, in this period, to change the keeper in that moment. But I didn’t do it. I didn’t have the courage to do it. But I’m able to take a winger, or a striker, or but a central defender on to drop to a five and hold that result.
“We drew those games and I was so unhappy. Someone is going to do it, and maybe it will be [me]. That’s strange? Why? Why not? We have all the qualities in another goalkeeper to do something when something is happening and you want to change momentum. Do it. It’s a regret that I have.
“Now my feeling is to get everybody engaged in the team. They have to play, regardless of the competition. We have to do it. This is my message.”
READ MORE:Thierry Henry makes brutal Arsenal admission amid Unai Emery and Mikel Arteta comparison
READ MORE:The Arsenal games Takehiro Tomiyasu will miss as Mikel Arteta details significant blow
Following Arteta’s claims, many have suggested that Ramsdale won’t be happy to simply sit out on the bench, and could find a move away in January to another big club. One of those is Henry, who believes the England goalkeeper must either fight the competition or leave if he’s unhappy.
“You are at a big club. Competition will happen,” Henry explained on the Rest Is Football Podcast. “I am not the coach of Arsenal, but Mikel Arteta went to get a guy that he thinks will win him the title.
“[Aaron] Ramsdale was seen as the guy to get us in the top four again and Bernd Leno went to Fulham. That is the story of football. I can understand with the new generation but there is something that will never change at a big club, you have got to compete. If you don’t compete, someone is going to come.
“If you take Phil Foden, he is a very good player but Manchester City keep buying players. You are at a big club and that’s how it is, and if you are not happy at the big club, then you have got to go.”
Antonio is another who feels as though Ramsdale can only do what Arteta asks of him, and compared it to the situation at his own club between Alphonse Areola and Lukasz Fabianski. He said: “I feel like this has become so big because of how well Arsenal did last year and [Aaron] Ramsdale was their number one.
“The fact that they brought in [David] Raya this year and at the beginning of the season they just threw Raya in for the Premier League games, the media has made it more than it actually is. At the end of the day, the manager makes the decisions and he has chosen to put Raya in. It just is what it is.
“At West Ham right now, we have Alphonse Areola in goal, but for the last five years, Lukasz Fabianski has been unbelievable. He has pulled us out of some unbelievable situations but at the start of the season, the gaffer said to him I am making Alphonse the number one this year.
“It’s because he’s not at Arsenal why it hasn’t been talked about as much. We’ve had to unbelievable and the gaffer has decided that he should be the number one this year. We know, if anything happens to Alphonse, we have got Lukasz and we ain’t worried.”
Sign up to our Arsenal WhatsApp service and get all the latest breaking news and in-depth stories from football.london’s dedicated Arsenal writers direct to your phone.
By signing up to this free service you will be the first to know the news from the Emirates Stadium as it happens.
To join our Arsenal community, all you have to do is click this link.
Feel inspired to make a positive change?
We have selected our top trusted sources that can help you take action…
Donate to Kick It Out to support equality in football
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