From Arsenal No 1 to Fourth Choice: Ramsdale's Fall Down the Pecking Order at Southampton

Aaron Ramsdale, a former England goalkeeper and one time Arsenal No 1, is currently fourth choice at Championship club Southampton and has not featured in a single matchday squad this season.

The 28 year old, who joined Saints from Arsenal in a deal worth up to £25 million in 2024, recently played a Premier League Cup game for Southampton's Under 21s in front of an official crowd of just 246, none of whom paid to get in. It was Ramsdale himself who asked to play the match.

Once England's Back-Up, Now Behind Three Other Keepers

Ramsdale has earned five England caps and was on the bench at Euro 2020, Euro 2024 and the 2022 World Cup. He was named in the PFA team of the year in 2023 after helping Arsenal finish second in the Premier League. As recently as March, while on loan at Newcastle, he played in front of nearly 60,000 fans at the Nou Camp in the Champions League last 16.

Now, though, he is behind three other goalkeepers at Southampton. Daniel Peretz, who signed permanently from Bayern Munich this summer for around £6 million, is Saints boss Tonda Eckert's clear No 1. George Long has been told he is No 2, and Southampton also brought in 37 year old Jamie Jones as a senior third choice to help mentor the group, pushing Ramsdale to fourth.

"That group worked really well together last year and this is the way that we will go forward," Eckert said last week.

Club Expected Him To Leave, But He Stayed

Southampton had planned for Ramsdale to leave this summer and had not really prepared for the possibility of him staying. He turned down several offers, including interest from Scotland, Spain and Germany, because he did not want to move to yet another new club unless the deal was too good to turn down.

Leeds were reportedly keen on signing him had their move for James Trafford fallen through. A return to Bournemouth, where he lives, was also mentioned as a possibility, but the club chose to sign Juventus keeper Michele Di Gregorio on loan instead. Ramsdale also had no interest in a loan move abroad, despite interest from clubs including Como and Torino, especially after his wife recently gave birth to their daughter.

"I Just Wanted To Play Football"

Ramsdale's time at Arsenal ended in frustration. He signed a long term deal there in May 2023 and said at the time he wanted to be the club's goalkeeper for years to come.

"I want to be a mainstay at this club and do special things, win trophies and see what this team can do," he said then. "Hopefully we can stay together for a number of years."

Three months later, Arsenal signed David Raya on loan, and Raya quickly became the club's first choice. Ramsdale's dad has said his son "lost his smile" during that period.

Speaking after his move to Southampton, Ramsdale explained why he wanted regular football over sitting on the bench, even at a club fighting for trophies.

"If I was sitting on the bench, winning a trophy wouldn't have meant that much to me," he said. "I just wanted to play football. As a kid I wanted to play football, not to just sit on a bench."

A Similar Story At Newcastle

Ramsdale spent last season on loan at Newcastle, who paid around £4 million for the loan and saw him as an option who was better with the ball at his feet than Nick Pope. He was popular in the dressing room there too, but he struggled to make the most of his chances on the pitch, and Newcastle chose not to make the move permanent.

Still Holding Out Hope

Despite everything, Ramsdale was named in Southampton's 25 man squad submitted to the Football League, and he has been training with the first team group more in recent weeks. Sources close to the club believe that if Peretz were to get injured, Eckert would likely turn to Ramsdale to fill in.

People close to Ramsdale say he still believes he has an important role to play in helping Southampton get back to the Premier League, and that his current spot at fourth choice is only "circumstantial," something he still hopes he can change.