Mikel Arteta tells £30m Arsenal star to ‘earn’ his place after not playing vs Bayer Leverkusen

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Mikel Arteta was a happy man after Arsenal beat Bayer Leverkusen in the first game of the Emirates Cup.

The Gunners looked spectacular against the German champions on Wednesday. They picked up a convincing 4-1 win and were comfortable throughout the game.

Arteta named a very strong lineup against Leverkusen. Many of his first-team stars started, and most of those on the bench got a run-out in the second half.

However, three Arsenal players didn’t get to play a single minute in the game, and Arteta shared his thoughts after being asked about one of them in his press conference.

Mikel Arteta sends message to Aaron Ramsdale after Arsenal’s win over Bayer Leverkusen

Aaron Ramsdale returned to training recently after his holiday following Euro 2024.

The Englishman was always going to be the second-choice behind David Raya, and unsurprisingly, Arteta went with the latter against Leverkusen on Wednesday.

What was, however, a surprise was that the Arsenal manager didn’t give Ramsdale a few minutes in the second half of the game either.

The former Sheffield United man was one among just three players who didn’t play a minute against Bayer Leverkusen – Reiss Nelson and Tommy Setford were the other two.

In his press conference after the game, Arteta was first asked about Eddie Nketiah’s future after he was brought on as a substitute late in the game.

The Arsenal boss refused to address the speculation and claimed that all the coaches at the club ‘really like’ the England striker.

Then, Arteta was asked about Ramsdale, and the Spaniard’s response was more vague. He strongly claimed that every player has to ‘earn’ their place in the side.

He said: “It’s the same situation with all the players, everybody wants to play. I have to give those options, they have to earn it and there is no difference.”

Ramsdale could be forced to stay at Arsenal

Arsenal signed Ramsdale in a £30 million deal including add-ons back in the summer of 2021.

The Englishman displaced Bernd Leno and quickly became the club’s number one. He was unbelievable in the 2022/23 season too and played a big part in helping the club challenge for the Premier League title.

However, since Raya’s arrival, it has been clear that Ramsdale will only be the second choice at the club, which is why he has been heavily linked with a move away from the Emirates.

But, Arsenal are demanding £50 million for Ramsdale, and we just can’t see any club matching that figure before the window shuts.

That could force the England international to stay at Arsenal in this window.