Mikel Arteta has overseen a number of transfers during his time at Arsenal.
The Spaniard has been at the helm at the Emirates Stadium for nearly five years now, and he has had to make several big decisions.
From banishing the likes of Mesut Ozil, Matteo Gunedouzi and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to selling academy graduates like Joe Willock, Emile Smith Rowe and Eddie Nketiah, Arteta has made a lot of changes.
One player who was sold by Arteta has now opened up on his departure from Arsenal.
Aaron Ramsdale says he wanted to ’emulate’ Arsenal legend David Seaman
Aaron Ramsdale went through both the highs and the lows during his time at Arsenal.
When the Gunners first signed the Englishman, there were a lot of people against that move. Arteta came under a ton of criticism for even showing an interest in him.
However, the Arsenal manager stuck to his guns and signed Ramsdale, and that proved to be a tremendous decision.
Ramsdale was absolutely amazing for large parts of his time at Arsenal. He helped them become title contenders and made a number of incredible saves.
In May 2023, the England goalkeeper signed a new long-term contract at the Emirates. He was rewarded for his excellent performances and was viewed as a mainstay in goal for the years to come.
However, just three games into the new season, he was dropped for David Raya, and that proved to be the end of Ramsdale’s Arsenal career.
Ahead of his return to the Emirates on Saturday, Ramsdale revealed that his dream to emulate an Arsenal legend was crushed.
He told the BBC: “I did an interview with David Seaman about my new contract. I wanted to emulate him and be there for eight to 10 years. A couple of months later, I was out of the team.”
READ MORE: Aaron Ramsdale reveals what really angered him when he was on the bench at Arsenal
Arsenal should take advantage of Ramsdale’s weakness vs Southampton
Ramsdale will return to Arsenal on Saturday in Southampton’s colours, and we’re sure he would love to prove a point to Arteta.
Every Gooner knows that the Englishman is a world-class goalkeeper on his day. When he’s at his best, it’s really hard to score against him.
However, Arteta and Arsenal’s coaching staff will know Ramsdale’s weaknesses – one of them is his ability in set-piece situations.
The Southampton number one struggled when there were many bodies around him during corners and free-kicks.
Nicolas Jover should use that to Arsenal’s advantage on Saturday.
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