Aaron Ramsdale has 90 minutes to stake a claim for his Arsenal shirt on Saturday – but the chances are stacked against him. Premier League rules state that loan players cannot face their parent club which means David Raya, only temporarily a Gunner with a view to a £30million move in the summer, is ineligible to face Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium.
Ramsdale has played just twice in the League Cup – including a game at Brentford when Raya COULD play due to different competition rules – since losing his place to Raya in September. At the time, manager Mikel Arteta spoke about having “two number ones” – even discussing the option of alternating between them in-game by making a tactical substitution.
“I cannot have two players in each position and not play them,” he said. “David has tremendous qualities, like Aaron has and we have to use them.” The 25-year-old’s lack of action has put his England place in jeopardy, with an appearance against Scotland in a friendly in September his only outing for the Three Lions.
Crystal Palace’s Sam Johnstone seems to be establishing himself as Jordan Pickford’s deputy. With Newcastle first-choice Nick Pope back from injury to push him for an international place, Ramsdale may feel he needs to be a regular Premier League goalkeeper.
Certainly his dad does. Nick Ramsdale was vocal this month, telling Arteta: “Aaron’s lost that smile to when he was holding onto that ball at this moment in time. It really is difficult to see him there and we all keep saying you need to keep smiling.” England manager Gareth Southgate is a lot more circumspect but no more reassuring.
“Longer term, we’re just going to have to see how it is,” he said ahead of the recent internationals. “I had that conversation with him in the last camp. We thought he did really well for us in Scotland.
“He’s still battling to be the number one at Arsenal, and his profile and the way he can use the ball with his feet, we like, we think that’s important. But there is a reality as a keeper, if we get to March and he’s six months without playing regularly, then I’m never going to promise things that I couldn’t guarantee delivering.”
Ramsdale, though, knows exactly the way Arteta can operate. When he himself was the new signing two seasons ago, expected to blood himself slowly under the mentorship of German international Bernd Leno, he took the Premier League shirt just three games into the season.
It was only given back for Leno’s farewell in the final game of the campaign. Clearly, Southgate appreciates the attitude of Ramsdale and his ability to play with his feet – even if perhaps not to the extent of Jordan Pickford.
A move in the January window would be the obvious course of action. However, Arteta won’t be letting such an adequate replacement for games like Saturday go without a fight. Battle lines could well be drawn.
