Chelsea have chosen not to pursue a deal for Arsenal’s out-of-favour star, Aaron Ramsdale.
The Blues are looking for a top-tier goalkeeper to help initiate the Enzo Maresca era, as both Robert Sanchez and Djordje Petrovic struggled to secure the position throughout the 2023/24 season under Mauricio Pochettino.
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This summer, Tosin Adarabioyo, Marc Guiu, Caleb Wiley, Renato Veiga, Omari Kellyman, and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall have already been signed, and the Stamford Bridge management is determined to make further additions before the transfer window closes.
Chelsea have been monitoring several goalkeepers across Europe recently, including Everton’s Jordan Pickford, Villarreal’s Filip Jorgensen, and Brazil international Bento.
The west London club has also shown interest in English goalkeepers Ramsdale and James Trafford, but according to The Athletic, they have now decided against targeting these players.
Ramsdale had seemingly secured his position as Arsenal’s number one following a £24 million transfer from Sheffield United in 2021, making 78 appearances over his first two seasons in north London.
However, David Raya’s arrival on loan from Brentford immediately cast doubts on Ramsdale’s future at the club, and the England international was restricted to just six Premier League games under Mikel Arteta last season.
Raya has now joined Arsenal permanently, and reports suggest that the Gunners are open to offers for Ramsdale, who still has two years left on his current contract in north London.
Earlier this month, club legend David Seaman encouraged Ramsdale to find a way out of the Emirates for the sake of his career.
‘I’ve always said Aaron is too good to be a number two. He’s a fantastic player. He needs to play. Wherever that is, I don’t know,’ Seaman told The Daily Star.
‘It’s a weird situation. Ideally, you’d love him to stay because that would be great for the club.
‘But he needs to move for his career. And that includes England because, if he’s not playing, he’ll keep dropping down the pecking order with them.’
Speaking to talkSPORT, Ramsdale – who has also been linked with Newcastle – admitted it was a ‘release’ to be with England at the European Championship in Germany after an extremely ‘tough’ 12 months at the club level.
‘No footballer wants to not play, I’ve had a tough year personally not playing and I never want to do that again,’ he said last month.
‘It was tough, it was tough. But I have my release now, I’m now here, I’ve got the greatest honour, the greatest badge on my chest.’
