Southampton have greenlit any loan moves for Aaron Ramsdale as the England international looks for a move away from St. Mary’s.
The former Arsenal shot stopper joined the South Coast club on a permanent, four-year deal last summer after being displaced by David Raya as the number one for Mikel Arteta’s side. The 27-year-old was helpless to stop The Saints’ relegation back into the Championship, conceding 66 times across the Premier League season.
Ramsdale Allowed To Leave
With Southampton now back in the second tier, many of their top players have been allowed to leave, and Ramsdale is no exception. According to TalkSPORT, Ramsdale has been allowed to leave the club on loan, with Scottish giants Rangers and Turkish side Galatasaray both interested in the goalkeeper. The report suggests that the former Sheffield United player wants to play at the highest level possible in order to ensure his place in the England squad for the World Cup next summer.
Ramsdale has been ousted from his place in the Three Lions set-up for the most recent international against Senegal and Andorra, with Jordan Pickford being joined by Dean Henderson and James Trafford after his outstanding season in the Championship for Burnley. Ramsdale has earned five caps for his nation since 2021, all under Gareth Southgate.
With Ramsdale now expected to leave, incoming Saints manager Will Still will have Gavin Bazunu and Alex McCarthy available to him. Bazunu spent last season on loan at Belgian side Standard Liege, whilst McCarthy was often on the bench for Southampton throughout last season, and made eight appearances over the course of the campaign.
Writers’ View
As is often the case with relegated sides, some players will want to leave in order to continue playing at the highest level possible. Aaron Ramsdale is no exception to this, with his place in the England setup now under serious threat with the performances of Dean Henderson and James Trafford last season. For Will Still, he will want any non-committed players out of the squad as soon as possible so his focus can be on regaining promotion at the first time of asking. With Alex McCarthy now 35, perhaps the new Saints boss will look for a new goalkeeping option this summer.
