Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta reveals what persuaded him to seal Aaron Ramsdale transfer
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has praised goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale for his composure under pressure, saying that he does not show any fear in the big moments.
Ramsdale was in fine form in Arsenal’s 2-2 draw with Liverpool on Sunday, making a number of crucial saves to keep his side in the game. The result was a blow to Arsenal’s hopes of winning the Premier League title, but it did at least keep them in the race.
Arteta said that he was impressed by Ramsdale’s performance, and that he has shown that he has the mentality to succeed at the highest level.
“He has been really, really good,” said Arteta. “And probably against the odds because when you look at his past and where he was coming from, he was relegated twice, so it was difficult to imagine it.
“But we saw he had that character, charisma and personality to play for our club and he had the potential qualities to feed into our way of playing.
“It’s his consistency. He is number one. He’s decisive in key moments, especially in our way of playing, key moments to be able to play the way we want to play, in defence and attack. Also what he transmits to the rest of the team and to the outside world. When you see the development he has had the past two seasons I think he is exceptional.”
Aaron Ramsdale has been a revelation since joining Arsenal from Sheffield United in the summer of 2021. The 24-year-old goalkeeper has quickly established himself as one of the best in the Premier League, and has been credited with helping to improve the Gunners’ defense.
Ramsdale was relegated twice in his career before joining Arsenal, but he has shown no signs of fear or doubt since moving to the Emirates Stadium. He has been a commanding presence in goal, and has made a number of crucial saves to keep Arsenal in games.
Arteta has praised Ramsdale’s composure under pressure, and believes that he is one of the key reasons why Arsenal have been so solid defensively this season. The Gunners have conceded the fewest goals in the Premier League since Ramsdale joined the club, and they are now in contention for a top-four finish.
Ramsdale is still young and has plenty of room to improve, but he has already shown that he has the potential to be one of the best goalkeepers in the world. He is a key part of Arsenal’s future, and they will be hoping that he can continue to improve and help them challenge for major trophies in the years to come.
“The first day I was on the phone to him, I said, ‘let’s do it, let’s do it’. Because you have that feeling you sense when someone is mentally ready.
“Any question you ask him to see how he will answer. He is ready for it, he has seen ahead, he knows what is coming and he knows what he wants and he feels capable of doing it. He has no fear, he was just looking at the challenge ahead of him and that is what you want.”
Aaron Ramsdale, who was signed from Sheffield United and AFC Wimbledon for £30 million in the summer of 2021, quickly replaced the more experienced Bernd Leno as Arsenal’s starting goalkeeper and showed why he was worth the price tag.
Reflecting on the internal discussions at the Emirates, Arteta went on: “[We decided to sign him after] we played against him and obviously I’d watched him a lot. It was that presence and that energy he had, I thought: ‘This is the one.’
“We had many discussions and many possibilities but we made the decision all together and were comfortable and we were happy to do it.”
Arsenal’s six-game winning streak in the Premier League came to an end last Sunday with a draw at Anfield. However, they have a chance to get back to winning ways on Sunday when they travel to West Ham.
“Liverpool is now another day,” said Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta. “Now it’s about this Sunday. That game was important and Ramsdale made a couple of really important saves, but at the end of the season, it’s about 38 games and how good you’ve been.”
Arsenal won 3-1 against West Ham on Boxing Day last season and 2-1 at the London Stadium in February. Arteta is confident that Ramsdale will keep a clean sheet this weekend and help Arsenal to victory.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta reveals what persuaded him to seal Aaron Ramsdale transfer