It doesn’t feel like long since Aaron Ramsdale exploded into the Arsenal squad and quickly overthrew Bernd Leno at the Emirates Stadium.
Yet after just two seasons, the Gunners are considering a move that presents the England international a challenge just as big as the one that he offered Leno in 2021.
Arsenal went into the summer transfer window knowing they needed to strengthen multiple areas of the squad, after missing out on the Premier League title to Manchester City last season.
They have made their intentions clear by spending just over £200m for Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber – improving Mikel Arteta’s options in defence and midfield.
Ramsdale has become a key component both on and off the field for the Gunners, and there seemed to be little chance of them signing someone who could challenge or even replace him in the starting XI this summer. Yet they are now exploring a deal for Brentford’s David Raya.
Arsenal are considering a move for Brentford keeper David Raya during the summer window
Aaron Ramsdale made a number of high-profile errors towards the end of last season and the signing of Raya would mean he’s no longer certain of his starting place at the Gunners
Mikel Arteta previously wanted to sign Raya before he landed Ramsdale two years ago
The news of Arsenal’s interest in Raya caught many by surprise, despite the player previously being linked to Tottenham and Bayern Munich this summer, and with Arteta attempting to sign back him in 2021 before they landed Ramsdale.
Should they sign the £30m rated keeper, Ramsdale will go from being safe and secure in his place between the sticks, to knowing that he has a fight on his hands with the gloves up for grabs.
Ramsdale, like Raya, played every minute of the Premier League last season, keeping 14 clean sheets and ensuring that Champions League football will return to the Emirates which is an impressive feat even if the title evaded them.
He has proven himself to be a strong shot-stopper during his time at the Emirates, particularly in one-v-one situations. His performance in the 2-2 draw with Liverpool in April showcased much of what has made him an impressive signing for Arsenal.
It was one of the finest displays of the season for a keeper, after he somehow kept out shots from Mohamed Salah and Ibrahima Konate which appeared destined to rustle the net.
Arteta that same month also praised Ramsdale for the ‘exceptional’ progress he made during his time at Arsenal, stating that his rapid rise had come ‘against the odds’.
But Ramsdale’s form dipped towards the end of the season with a number of costly errors.
Ramsdale has become a strong shot-stopper enjoying his best game against Liverpool in April
He had a game to forget in Arsenal’s 3-3 draw with Southampton, when a poor pass out from the back found an opposition player, allowing Carlos Alcaraz to net the opener inside just a minute.
Then against Brighton, he parried a tame shot back into play for Pervis Estupinan to wrap up a 3-0 victory for the Seagulls – the day where their title dream came to an end.
The one statistic which will worry Arteta more than any, is that no Premier League player made more errors leading to a shot than Ramsdale last season with six – joint with Wolves’ Jose Sa and two more than any other player. Raya on the other hand made just two.
This comes despite Ramsdale having less work to do than Raya, who was one of the busiest keepers in the league, with only three teams facing more shots per game than Brentford’s 14.7
Raya faced 200 shots on target and impressively boasted the highest save percentage rate (77 per cent) of any keeper in the league. Ramsdale meanwhile faced 137 shots on target and saved 95 at a percentage of 68.84
Despite the Gunners finishing seven places and 25 points above the Bees in the final standings, Arteta’s side conceded just three fewer goals than Brentford.
Ramsdale conceded 43 Premier League goals – higher than the total they were expected to concede at 40.8. Brentford meanwhile conceded 46 when they were expected to give up a figure of 48.77.
Stats from Opta also show that Raya prevented 5.77 goals last season, while Ramsdale gave up 1.2 more than expected.
Where the Spaniard is particularly seen to be stronger than Ramsdale is with the ball at his feet. Numbers from last season don’t fully reflect that tale with the England international boasting a better passing accuracy (63.38 per cent) compared to Raya (60.75).
Where Raya’s ability stands out though is his ability to find someone from distance.
No player made more mistakes leading to a shot last season than Ramsdale with six
| PL 2022-23 | Aaron Ramsdale | David Raya |
|---|---|---|
| Games played | 38 | 38 |
| Minutes played | 3420 | 3420 |
| Saves | 95 | 154 |
| Save percentage | 68.84 | 77 |
| Shots on target faced | 137 | 200 |
| Clean sheets | 14 | 12 |
| Goals conceded | 43 | 46 |
| Goals conceded (ex. own goals) | 42 | 43 |
| Expected goals on target conceded | 40.8 | 48.77 |
| Goals prevented | -1.2 | +5.77 |
| Penalties faced | 5 | 2 |
| Penalty goals conceded | 3 | 2 |
| Passes | 934 | 1475 |
| Passing accuracy | 63.38 | 60.75 |
| Short passes completed | 454 | 486 |
| Long passes attempted | 472 | 974 |
| Long pass accuracy percentage | 29.24 | 42.09 |
| Errors leading to goals | 2 | 1 |
| Clearances | 34 | 20 |
Last season, Ramsdale attempted 472 long passes, in which he completed just 29.24 of them. Despite making over double the amount of long passes (974), Raya boasts a far more impressive success rate with 42.09 per cent.
Not all of the numbers sit on Raya’s side however, as Ramsdale made 34 clearances last season compared to Raya’s 20 – with the 25-year-old England star possessing better agility than his opposing number.
What the numbers don’t show is his ability in one-v-one situations, and Ramsdale has proven himself to be a good decision-maker knowing when it’s best to come out and when he has to be patient and try to close down the angle for his opposition to prevent a goal.
Since Bernd Leno’s departure for Fulham, Ramsdale hasn’t faced the same competition that he provided Leno, with Matt Turner his closest rival.
Raya has built up a strong reputation with the Bees in recent years and his performances last season saw him widely viewed as one of the best keepers in the Premier League.
For Ramsdale the addition of Raya would mean that he would need to up his game and show the same character and fight that originally earned his place in the starting XI – when many at the time thought he would play back-up.
