With David Raya now in on loan, we mentioned yesterday how it is a bit like a year long trial at Arsenal.
He will either do enough to break into our first team and become first choice, or he will struggle to usurp Aaron Ramsdale and play second fiddle.
Whatever the outcome of the battle for number one, there are four possibile consequences?
I do not really get the criticism of Ramsdale by some fans. He was a breath of fresh air when he joined and is a talented goalkeeper.
Raya will not automatically be the number one at Arsenal, and he will have to battle to take the shirt off Ramsdale. Mikel Arteta’s hope will be that having two top keepers will push both to be even better.
If Ramsdale remains number one throughout the season, Raya might still decide to stay beyond his loan deal and settle as a second choice keeper.
Ramsdale stays as number one, Raya departs
David Raya fought his way into the Spain squad in 2022.
Spain have a good batch of keepers under 30 – Raya, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Unai Simon and Robert Sánchez. There is also a certain David de Gea who has not played for his national team since 2020.
You have to assume that those on the plane to Euro 2024 will be however is playing regularly.
Unai Simon and Kepa Arrizabalaga will almost certainly be their clubs number one’s this season, whilst Robert Sánchez and David Raya could both be in a battle for game time.
If Raya remains number two, seeing very little game time, I think he will miss out on going to Germany and that will be a huge influence as to where he starts 2024/25.
He will still have hopes to go to the World Cup in 2026, and will probably look for first team football elsewhere.
That could be back at Brentford (he did extend his contract), or elsewhere in England or Spain.
I do not think Raya will be happy staying at Arsenal if he is number two.
Ramsdale becomes number one, Ramsdale happy to stay
A lot of experts are of the belief that it is only a matter of time until David Raya becomes Arsenal’s number one. That in turn would relegate Ramsdale to second choice.
Ramsdale signed a new four-year deal just a couple of months ago for a reported £120k a week. If he ends up as number two, would he be happy to settle in as Arsenal’s 2nd choice keeper whilst picking up a very big salary?
Will he get £120k a week elsewhere? And would he prefer to sit on our bench, playing the cup games, within a positive atmosphere, rather than become first choice at a chaos club like West Ham or Crystal Palace?
He has suffered relegation from the Premier League twice in his career already. Does he want to return to one of those sort of teams?
I think if Ramsdale loses his number one shirt to Raya, he might decide to give it another year to fight it out, see if he can regain it.
Raya becomes number one, Ramsdale departs
Like Raya, Ramsdale is also fighting to be on that plane to Germany at the end of the season.
Jordan Pickford and Nick Pope both already have their boarding passes (baring injury). That leaves Ramsdale, Dean Henderson and Sam Johnstone as recent call-ups to Gareth Southgate’s squad.
Henderson is unlikely to play much at Manchester United, and Johnstone could be in for a tough time at Crystal Palace. My gut is Ramsdale will be on that plane even if he is number two at Arsenal.
But moving beyond this season, would Ramsdale really be happy to be number two?
He does not come across as someone that will cause issues, but he does come across as someone who wants to play. He has that nervous energy about him
Ramsdale has been a first choice goalkeeper in the Premier League for 4 season (a season each at Bournemouth and Sheffield United before joining Arsenal).
He is only a couple of years younger than Raya, so if he settles on the number 2 shirt (or number 13?), he is basically committing himself to a career as a second choice keeper. That is a huge change.
Ramsdale will have no shortage of suitors in the Premier League, but the question remains whether someone would pay him £120k a week, and if he would want to move for a pay cut? Also, does he want to head for another club that fights relegation year after year.
In 12 months time, I could see him at either Brighton or Brentford. He would suit the pair of him.
If Arsenal decide to make the Raya deal permanent, could we see Ramsdale going the other way for a similar price tag? Basically a “straight swap” of goalkeepers? It could happen…
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