One Arsenal player has caught the eye in training whilst on international duty this week, which may prompt concerns that Mikel Arteta is about to make a mistake.
Arsenal trio Aaron Ramsdale, Declan Rice, and Bukayo Saka are all currently with the England squad at a training camp, preparing for this summer’s EUROs tournament.
Saka turned up for England duty with Arsenal merchandise in tow, and like Rice, the winger is expected to feature heavily for the Three Lions at the upcoming tournament in Germany.
Ramsdale, meanwhile, is likely to offer a back up option to Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford. However, the Arsenal shot-stopper has certainly been doing all he can to impress Gareth Southgate in training.
Arsenal outcast Aaron Ramsdale reminds everyone of his quality in England training
In a video of behind the scenes action released on the official England YouTube channel this week, Ramsdale could be seen pulling off a string of spectacular saves in training. The 26-year-old was repeatedly applauded and hailed by his international colleagues due to the saves he was making.
Ramsdale currently only has four England caps to his name, but given he is significantly younger than Pickford, he will very much be aiming to be his nation’s next No. 1 and will be determined to hold that position on a long-term basis.
In order to achieve that aim, though, he needs to be playing regularly at club level. After Arsenal paid £30 million to sign Ramsdale from Sheffield United in the summer of 2021, he quickly became the first-choice between the sticks at the Emirates Stadium.
Will Mikel Arteta regret letting Aaron Ramsdale leave Arsenal?
However, not long after David Raya’s arrival in North London last summer, he lost his regular starting berth. The Brentford loanee is clearly Mikel Arteta’s preferred pick. As such, Arsenal are now set to shell out £27 million to sign Raya on a permanent basis.
Meanwhile, Arsenal are aware that Ramsdale is almost certain to leave the club this summer. He certainly needs to get back to playing regular football, for the sake of his ongoing international prospects, if nothing else.
However, this recent footage from the England camp shows just how big a talent the Gunners are on the verge of letting go. Ramsdale may not be quite as composed with the ball at his feet as Raya, or as aggressive in his positioning or dominant when it comes to claiming crosses. In terms of pure shot-stopping ability, though, Ramsdale certainly has the edge.
He is capable of the spectacular, as he has demonstrated in an Arsenal shirt many times before. Fans of the Gunners will now be desperately hoping that letting Ramsdale leave doesn’t backfire on Arteta.