Newcastle United are pushing ahead with a deal to sign Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale in the first move of what promises to be a busy summer of ins and outs at St James’ Park.
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe signed the 26-year-old when he was manager of Bournemouth and has decided to try to take his former goalkeeper to the North East.
Although there are still things to work through, it is thought Newcastle are willing to pay around £15 million for Ramsdale, with the offer of a five-year contract.
Ramsdale has lost his status as first-choice goalkeeper at Arsenal following the signing of David Raya from Brentford last summer.
In an apparent response to claims a deal had been agreed, Ramsdale posted on the social platform X that it was “news to me” but sources have confirmed Newcastle’s interest in him and it is hoped a deal can be agreed after further talks.
Ramsdale signed a new contract at Arsenal in May last year, at a time when it seemed certain that he would be the club’s No 1 for the foreseeable future. Upon agreeing that new deal, the goalkeeper said he hoped to remain in north London for the next decade.
However, Arsenal then seized the opportunity to sign Raya from Brentford during the following transfer window. Raya joined the club on an initial loan but all parties expect the Spaniard to be signed on a permanent basis this summer, with a deal totalling £30 million already agreed.
After dislodging Ramsdale from the Arsenal team in September, Raya has since gone on to win the Premier League Golden Glove award after keeping more clean sheets than any other top-flight goalkeeper. Raya has kept 16 clean sheets in 31 league matches.
Since losing his place in the team, Ramsdale has made only two appearances in the Premier League this season. Both of those games were against Brentford, when Raya was ineligible to face his parent club.
In November, Ramsdale’s father Nick said that his son had “lost his smile” this season and admitted that he did not know the reason why he had fallen behind Raya in the pecking order.
However, his pedigree is a good one and Newcastle’s recruitment team feel he will continue to get better over the next few years. He had forced his way into the England squad when he was playing regularly in North London and has been capped four times by Gareth Southgate.
Ramsdale will not automatically become first choice at Newcastle, where he will compete with fellow England international Nick Pope for the jersey.
The impending arrival of Ramsdale means Martin Dubravka, who has deputised for Pope while he recovers from shoulder surgery, will be allowed to leave Newcastle in the summer. The Slovakian will be 36 next season and will not want to be third choice.
It is thought Pope is in line to return to the starting XI against Brentford this weekend, a game Newcastle need to win to be in with a shout of qualifying for European football next season.
Pope’s absence – he has been out since the start of December – has badly damaged Newcastle defensively and Howe has wanted more depth in the goalkeeping department for some time.
Ramsdale has similar attributes to Pope, but is six years younger and some feel he was a little harshly treated by Mikel Arteta who brought in Raya from Brentford, initially on a season’s loan.
He will now get the chance to reignite his career on Tyneside, with the club’s current third-choice goalkeeper, Loris Karius, also leaving in the next few weeks.
Multiple sources have told Telegraph Sport that talks have progressed and Arsenal are happy to let Ramsdale, who has made a total of 89 appearances for the London side, relaunch his career at another Premier League club if a fee is agreed.
