Arsenal fans sick of ‘frustrating’ situation that could now be settled in January

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Much has been made of Mikel Arteta’s decision to replace Aaron Ramsdale with David Raya as the Arsenal No. 1.

Aaron Ramsdale was the first choice Arsenal goalkeeper last season. A fan favourite at the Emirates Stadium, few would have identified the 25-year-old as a weak link in the Gunners’ squad.

However, Mikel Arteta clearly felt that Ramsdale could be improved upon. To that end, the north London club signed David Raya on a season-long loan deal from Brentford in the summer. 

It didn’t take long for the Spanish ‘keeper to usurp Ramsdale in the pecking order. Since mid-September, the England international has had to make do with a place on the bench, aside from a couple of starts in the EFL Cup.

The decision to shake things up between the sticks provoked plenty of media debate. Ramsdale himself has publicly discussed the pain of losing his starting berth. 

Even Ramsdale’s father has come now forward and shared his perspective on what his son is going through. 

Arsenal fans call for end to Aaron Ramsdale v David Raya discussion

This has left plenty of Arsenal fans wishing for the subject to be put to rest. Raya is clearly the No. 1, and the ongoing discussion around the topic is an unwelcome distraction for the players and the club.

One fan said, “When his son (Ramsdale) dislodge Leno in goal we didn’t hear any of this nonsense talks. Let the manager do whats good for the team.” Another chipped in with, “His dad needs to learn to keep quiet. This won’t help his son, it draws more attention onto him from the fans and potentially irritates the club. It’s his son and he wants the best for him but he’d be better off staying quiet.”

The goalkeeper issue has been such a hot topic at Arsenal that one fan was prompted to say, “This whole Ramsdale/Raya situation is really frustrating me now.”

Keeping two goalkeepers of such a high standard happy may prove impossible in the long run. Both Raya and Ramsdale will want to play regularly, but that simply isn’t possible. One fan believes that the upcoming winter transfer window could prove decisive, stating, “Ramsdale needs selling in January, end of discussion.”

With his involvement at international level on the line, Ramsdale may well seek to force a move away from Arsenal in January. However, that will leave Arteta needing to source a replacement. The £30 million former Sheffield United man may find he has to swallow his disappointment and tough it out on the bench for the rest of the campaign.