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Brad Friedel has doubts about Aaron Ramsdale reclaiming Arsenal's No.1 spot from David Raya after being dropped by Mikel Arteta recently.
Gunners boss Arteta decided to start Raya in wins over Everton (1-0) and PSV Eindhoven (4-0) leading to question marks over Ramsdale's future at the club. The English shots-stopper had been his side's first-choice goalkeeper since his arrival in 2021.
Arteta has insisted that he will be rotating between the two shot-stoppers regularly but many speculate he has decided that Raya is his permanent No.1. The Spaniard joined Arsenal from Brentford in the summer on loan with a £27 million buy option in the contract.
Friedel reckons the Gunners boss views Raya as the better goalkeeper and that he will be in goal for the majority of the season. He told talkSPORT:
“I thought from the second they signed him they signed him to be the new no.1, I don’t think you pay that much money for someone with one year left on their contract, I know he signed an extra contract and went on loan, but that was for other reasons."
Raya has impressed since replacing Ramsdale, keeping two clean sheets and displaying his ball-playing abilities. This has come at the expense of his English teammate who was one of Arsenal's standout performers last season. He kept 15 clean sheets in 41 games across competitions.
Friedel has suggested that the England international may end up leaving the Emirates as he won't reclaim his place in Arsenal's starting XI:
"It’s very harsh on Ramsdale but it’s the coach's decision. I’m assuming Ramsdale at the end of this season will end up having to do what Matt Turner did at the end of the previous season and find another place to play."
The former Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper continued by referring to the fact that Arteta didn't recall Ramsdale against PSV:
“I know it’s early and people will say you have to see what he does, but I think Raya was brought in as the no.1, you thought maybe they could be swapping if they’d played Ramsdale in the Champions League, but that didn’t happen."
Ramsdale has three years left on his contract at the Emirates and clubs have already been alerted to his situation. Reports claim that Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich and Premier League giants Chelsea are keeping tabs.
David Raya urges Aaron Ramsdale to fight for his place amid their competition for Arsenal's No.1 jersey
Raya sent his Arsenal teammate a message amid the current competition between the pair to be Arteta's No.1. The Spaniard insisted that Ramsdale needed to fight for the team:
“That’s his (Mikel Arteta's) choice. It’s not my choice. When Aaron (Ramsdale) comes back in, he needs to fight for the team and to win games.”
Ramsdale was named in the Premier League Team of the Year last season. He's earned four caps for England and will likely need game time ahead of the European Championships next year. He arrived at Arsenal from Sheffield United two years ago for £30 million.
