Arsenal
Report: Arsenal on verge of completing £30m deal as Arteta closes-in on 4th signing
Arsenal are on the verge of agreeing a £30m deal to sign Sheffield United goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale as Mikel Arteta closes-in on his fourth summer signing
Arsenal are on the verge of agreeing a £30m deal to sign Sheffield United goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale as Mikel Arteta closes-in on his fourth summer signing, according to football.london.
Arteta has already spent over £70m so far this summer on three new additions with centre-back Ben White, left-back Nuno Tavares and midfielder Albert Sambi Lokonga all arriving in recent weeks.
However, the Gunners boss knows he needs further reinforcements if Arsenal are to get back challenging for the top four again this coming season and a new goalkeeper is regarded as a top priority.
Mat Ryan – who spent the second half of last season on loan at the Emirates Stadium – has left the club while Runar Alex Runarsson hasn’t worked out since arriving last summer so competition for Bernd Leno is desperately needed.
Football.London says Arsenal have held talks with the representatives of Ajax goalkeeper Andre Onana but have switched their attention to signing a homegrown alternative and Ramsdale has emerged as Arteta’s prime target.
Widespread media outlets have reported on Arsenal’s interest in the England U21 international in recent weeks and after seeing two previous offers rejected by Sheffield United, it appears a deal is now on the verge of being agreed.
According to football.london, Arsenal are closing-in on the signing of Ramsdale with the north Londoners expected to pay an initial £24m with the fee rising to £30m including performance-related add-ons.
The 23-year-old was left out of Sheffield United’s squad for their 1-0 win over Carlisle in the EFL Cup, which fuelled speculation that he was set for a move as the stopper would have been cup-tied had he played in the competition on Tuesday night.
Ramsdale is expected to begin life at Arsenal as Leno’s understudy so he’s likely to see the vast majority of action in the domestic cups. However, Arteta will view the youngster as a long-term successor, especially as Leno has just two years left on his contract and has shown no sign he’ll pen an extension.
Football.london says Arsenal are expected to make further signings once they wrap up a deal for Ramsdale with James Maddison and Martin Odegaard the main targets for the attacking midfield position.
However, they’ll need to balance the books and the likes of Hector Bellerin, Joe Willock, Lucas Torreira, Sead Kolasinac, Eddie Nketiah and Reiss Nelson are all tipped to leave before the transfer window closes.
