Aaron Ramsdale has agreed a deal to leave Arsenal and join Premier League rivals Southampton in a permanent transfer.
talkSPORT understands the Gunners will sell their No.2 goalkeeper for an initial £18million fee, rising to £25m if Saints stay up this season.
Ramsdale will undergo his medical with the St Mary’s club on Thursday, in time to get the transfer done before Friday’s deadline.
The England international has been strongly linked with an Arsenal exit this summer having lost his No.1 shirt to David Raya last season.
Ramsdale’s future at the Emirates Stadium came under even further doubt when, as expected, Raya’s initial loan move from Brentford was triggered into a permanent transfer at the start of the summer.
A loan exit had been widely discussed for Ramsdale, with plenty of clubs in England and across Europe interested, but now it appears Southampton are ready to splash the cash to land the goalkeeper outright.
Ramsdale has been pushing for a move away from the Gunners, with the 26-year-old desperate to play after making only 11 appearances last season in all competitions.
The deal with Southampton represents a bit of a climb down from Arsenal, who were looking to ship Ramsdale out on loan with an obligation to buy for as much as £30m this summer.
Ramsdale joined the Gunners from Sheffield United for the same £30m figure in the summer of 2021.
But with hours to go until the window slams shut, they have accepted a lower offer to allow the goalkeeper to depart for more regular first-team football.
Several clubs registered an interest in the 26-year-old, with Wolves, Bournemouth and Dutch giants Ajax all having their approaches rejected by Arsenal.
Saints then entered the race as their search for a new goalkeeper continued after issues with a medical halted their move for Feyenoord No.1 Justin Bijlow.
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Ramsdale is now set to become the Saints’ new first-choice goalkeeper ahead of Alex McCarthy and Gavin Bazunu, as they look to avoid relegation in their first season back in the Premier League.
Last season’s Championship play-off final winners sit 16th in the top flight table after starting the new campaign with two straight defeats to Newcastle and Nottingham Forest.
Ramsdale will leave Arsenal after making 89 appearances in all competitions in a Gunners shirt, helping the club lift the Community Shield in 2023.
His £30m arrival raised a lot of eyebrows at the time, but the young goalkeeper – 23-year-old when he signed – quickly won over his doubters with some impressive performances between the sticks, earning praise for his reaction saves and acrobatic stops.
He also won over fans with his penchant for s***housing opponents, especially opposing supporters sat behind his goal, as well as his passionate celebrations from the other end of the pitch as he watched his teammates score.
However, the youngster also developed a reputation for a lack of concentration in key moments, which led to a number of big blunders and saw Mikel Arteta ultimately put his trust in another.
