Newcastle tipped to offer Arsenal outcast shock ‘escape route,’ but he could give Howe a headache
Arsenal duo Aaron Ramsdale and Emile Smith Rowe
Newcastle are reportedly considering a shock move for Aaron Ramsdale, with the Arsenal goalkeeper facing an uncertain future at the Emirates.
The England international has been one of the Gunners’ most important players since joining the club in 2021 but has fallen down the pecking order this season.
Mikel Arteta opted to sign David Raya from Brentford on a season-long loan with an option to buy, and the manager has started him ahead of Ramsdale recently.
Ramsdale hasn’t featured in Arsenal’s last six Premier League games. If this continues, he may struggle to get a place in the England squad for the European championships next year.
He did, however, play the full 90 minutes when the Gunners lost 3-1 to West Ham in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday.
As revealed by TEAMtalk, Ramsdale is open to leaving Arsenal in January due to his lack of minutes. Arsenal would prefer to sell him permanently if he is to move elsewhere, rather than loaning him out.
Chelsea have registered an interest in the 25-year-old, but fresh reports suggest that Newcastle could throw their hat into the ring.
Newcastle linked with surprise move for Ramsdale
According to talkSPORT, Newcastle is another potential ‘escape route’ for Ramsdale in January.
Eddie Howe signed Ramsdale from Sheffield United during his time as Bournemouth manager, before the keeper was sold back to Sheffield United in 2020.
Since joining Arsenal, Ramsdale has made 85 appearances in all competitions, keeping an impressive 31 clean sheets in the process.
Therefore, he could be a good addition for Newcastle. The clear issue with a potential switch to St James’ Park for Ramsdale, however, is that he may struggle for minutes there too.
England teammate Nick Pope is the undisputed number one for the Magpies. He has played every minute of Newcastle’s Premier League season so far, and it seems that an injury would be the only thing that could keep him out of the starting XI.
If Howe did opt to sign Ramsdale, it would likely create a similar situation to the one Ramsdale currently faces at Arsenal – competing with another top keeper to get on the team sheet.
TalkSport’s report could suggest that Howe isn’t completely happy with Pope, but there is nothing to indicate that this is the case.
With that in mind, it will be interesting to see if Newcastle do make a shock bid for Ramsdale in January, as the report suggests.
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