- Planet Sport writer
- 30 August 2024
Arsenal sign Neto, Aaron Ramsdale poised for Southampton move
Arsenal have secured Bournemouth goalkeeper Neto on a season-long loan, bolstering their squad with experienced cover between the posts.
After an impressive breakthrough season at Bournemouth, Ramsdale returned to his boyhood club in August 2020, playing every Premier League game for Sheffield United.
A year later, he signed for Arsenal for £30million and made his debut against West Brom in the Carabao Cup.
He was number one goalkeeper at Arsenal until the arrival of David Raya, and then found himself on the sidelines.
To try and resurrect his career, Ramsdale joined Southampton for a reported fee of £25m and agreed a four-year deal in August 2024.
Ramsdale made his England debut in a 10-0 away World Cup qualifier victory over San Marino in November 2021
Emerging at Sheffield United, given a chance at Bournemouth
In 2013, the English goalkeeper joined Sheffield United's youth academy.
Ramsdale appeared twice in the Championship as an unused substitute before signing his first professional contract with the club in 2016.
He would go onto make his professional debut for Sheffield United in a 6-0 FA Cup win over Leyton Orient.
However, the 18-year-old was quickly on his way, signing for newly promoted Premier League side Bournemouth in January 2017 on a four-and-a-half year deal.
Although he was signed for a sum reported to be £1million, he didn't play once in the top flight during the 2016/17 season, and a number of loans would follow.
He was loaned out to Chesterfield for the second half of the 2017/18 campaign, scoring an own goal on debut against Accrington Stanley.
He made 19 appearances in League Two but was unable to prevent Chesterfield's relegation to the National League.
In January 2019, the Englishman joined AFC Wimbledon where he would enjoy a much happier spell as the Dons secured safety in League One. He earned the club's Young Player of the Season award in the process.
Top-flight breakthrough
After returning to Bournemouth, Ramsdale made his Premier League debut on the opening day of the 2019/20 season and went on to enjoy an impressive first season in the top flight.
He would go on to start 37 Premier League games for the Cherries, earning himself Bournemouth's Player of the Month award for October and January, before picking up the Supporters' Player of the Year accolade.
Aaron Ramsdale 🧤
— Goal (@goal) January 25, 2020
England's future No.1? 🤔pic.twitter.com/GExoQUn9mw
In October 2019, Ramsdale signed a contract extension with the Cherries. However, Bournemouth's relegation to the Championship saw Sheffield United come in for their former keeper and he rejoined them for a fee believed to be in the region of £18.5million.
The Blades had finished an impressive ninth the previous season and the addition of Ramsdale was supposed to push them on to a European challenge.
However, it proved a hugely disappointing campaign for the Blades, who parted with manager Chris Wilder in the second half of the season. They eventually finished rock-bottom of the Premier League, 16 points adrift of safety.
It was Ramsdale's second successive top-flight relegation. However, his reputation remained intact as he secured United's Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year awards.
Ramsdale's ups and downs at Arsenal
Ramsdale joined the Gunners on August 20, 2021, for a fee of around £30million.
He made his debut in the Carabao Cup against West Brom and kept another clean sheet on his Premier League debut against Norwich City on September 11.
Ramsdale made 37 appearances across all the competitions in his first season at the Gunners, and made another 41 in the 2022/23 campaign as Arsenal just missed out on winning the Premier League title.
He was also named in the PFA team of the year and won save of the month twice.
At the start of the 2023/24 season, Arsenal signed Brentford keeper David Raya on a season-long loan and he took the first-team jersey off Ramsdale.
Ramsdale made just 11 appearances across all competitions during the season and his time at Arsenal appeared to be coming to an end.
In August 2024, Southampton completed a move for Ramsdale for a reported fee of £25m and agreed a four-year deal. He had made 89 appearances for the Gunners.
International career
Ramsdale has played at all youth levels for England, from the Under-18s all the way to the Under-21s.
He made his youth debut for England in March 2016, when he was part of a 4-1 victory over Northern Ireland.
Almost exactly two years later, Ramsdale was called up to the England Under-21s for the Toulon Tournament, with his first appearance coming in a 4-0 win over Qatar.
His impressive Premier League season earned him a call-up to Gareth Southgate's 33-man provisional England squad for Euro 2020 in the summer of 2021.
He failed to make the cut for the final 23 but after an injury to Dean Henderson, he was called up as his replacement. However, he didn't make an appearance at the tournament as England went on to reach the final, only to be beaten by Italy.
Ramsdale made his debut in a 10-0 away World Cup qualifier victory over San Marino in November 2021, he was also part of Gareth Southgate's 2022 World Cup squad but didn't play a game.
He was also selected for England's squad at Euro 2024, but didn't play a game.
Ramsdale personal life
During lockdown, Ramsdale stated that his parents helped him keep fit, with his dad even picking up a quad injury in the process.
His father, Nick, was a 400m hurdler for Great Britain, while his mother also had trials for England netball.
Ramsdale married his flight attendant girlfriend Georgina in June 2023, and the couple's first child arrived in October.
Ramsdale net worth
Aaron Ramsdale's salary at Arsenal was £120,000-a-week and he reportedly will earn a similar amount while at Southampton.
