According to various reports, the Aaron Ramsdale Southampton transfer fee could be as much as £30m, should the Saints decide to push through with a deal for the Arsenal goalkeeper.
The Gunners are reportedly willing to let him go on loan with an obligation to buy, with that fee thought to be £30m. However, Southampton are not thought to be considering that payment structure at this stage, although talks are still ongoing between the two clubs.
Arsenal signed Spain international goalkeeper David Raya on a permanent deal following his loan spell at the Emirates Stadium from Brentford last season, for a fee believed to be in the region of £27m. He displaced Ramsdale as Mikel Arteta's number one goalkeeper, meaning that the Englishman now has to leave the Gunners if he wants to get regular first-team football.
Southampton could provide just that, so a deal to take Ramsdale there makes a lot of sense for all parties. However, it will be interesting to see whether the Saints will match Arsenal's financial demands from now until the end of the summer transfer window on Friday.
Aaron Ramsdale Southampton transfer fee: £30m fair for Arsenal star?
Arsenal signed Ramsdale from Sheffield United in August 2021 for a reported transfer fee of £24m, which could rise to £30m with potential add-ons, so it seems reasonable that they seemingly want to make their money back on their investment. However, Southampton will argue that his market value has decreased since he is not playing regularly anymore, and Transfermarkt currently value Ramsdale at closer to £20m.
Nonetheless, he has proven himself to be a top goalkeeper, boasting one of the best records in the Premier League in his debut season at the Emirates with 12 clean sheets and just 39 goals conceded in 34 games in 2021/22. His ability with the ball at his feet made him a valuable asset in Arteta's system, and Arsenal jumped to fifth place from eighth in the season before.
In the following campaign, Ramsdale played in every match as the Gunners unexpectedly challenged Pep Guardiola's Manchester City for the Premier League title, eventually just missing out, with the goalkeeper increasing his clean sheet tally to 14. When Arteta decided to replace Ramsdale with Raya last term, it came as somewhat of a shock to many.
However, Raya won the Golden Glove with Ramsdale being surplus to requirements, which now looks a good decision by the Spanish head coach. It is now imperative that Ramsdale seeks regular game time elsewhere, especially if he wants to keep his place in the England national team squad.
Former Three Lions manager Gareth Southgate did pick Ramsdale in his 26-man squad for the UEFA European Championships in Germany, but new interim boss Lee Carsley may have different ideas.
Nonetheless, only time will tell what kind of transfer fee Southampton may end up paying for Ramsdale, but it is more important for the 26-year-old Arsenal shot-stopper to get a move before the deadline.
