Aaron Ramsdale has opened up on how he had to push for Sheffield United to sell him to Arsenal in the summer.
The Gunners decided early on that the Englishman was the goalkeeper they wanted and moved to sign him.
Recently-relegated Sheffield wanted to make as much money as they could from his sale and pushed a hard bargain.
The goalie was unimpressed by the figures the Blades were quoting Arsenal, because they were simply unrealistic.
He wanted to leave and make a return to the Premier League, so he had to act and ensure his former club knew exactly what he wanted.
He said via The Daily Mail: ‘The numbers which were getting thrown out, there were a couple of times where I lost my head, and it was just like, “How can someone be saying £40million for me?”
‘I was doing the fan thing: relegated, £40m, it doesn’t make sense.’
He added: ‘It got to the point of me saying, “I understand where you’re coming from but this is what I want to do.”
‘They said they wouldn’t stand in my way if a bid comes in or whatever.
‘And there were bids coming in and they were turning them down, and I said, “Look, you just said…”
Just Arsenal Opinion
Ramsdale knew he belonged in the top tier of English football and pushed to secure his transfer to the Premier League.
It is an act that is paying off for him and the Gunners now as he delivers some very fine performances.
He has become arguably the best signing of the season in England and will have played an important role if the Gunners make a return to the top four by the end of the campaign.
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Just goes to show what players can achieve when they really desire to join a team. Ramsdale hit the floor running with his Arsenal career because really wanted to play for the team
A lesson for Arsenal: only go for players who want to play for us. The right desire gives rise to the right attitude which,in turn, produces good results
Absolutely spot on and Very well said!
Should be challenging Pickford; he should feel very unsettled with his starting gig for England.
Goalkeeper of the season so far without doubt. All the other main names have howlers to their credit this year.
“Normally, if you don’t get your move, you are rewarded
with a new contract,” Ramsdale said . “So we said that (to Sheffield United). Someone at the football club – I won’t name names –said ‘we didn’t ask him to take less money when he was
conceding goals at the start of last year’. So, that was when I basically went ‘no, I won’t play
against West Brom, do what you want. I didn’t train for the first two days…and the manager was
like ‘no, he’ll be alright, he’ll play.’
“Tuesday came and I was like ‘no, I’m not playing’.
The baker does not and should not serve the bread half baked. Ramsdale didn’t go on strike because he was so eager to play for Arsenal, no no. He went on strike because after turning down bids Sheffield refused to increase his contract when he discussed it with them. For most modern day footballers, their passion lie where the money is. This is not an agenda against Ramsdale, he is my buy of the season I love the player, but he went on strike when he didn’t get his pay rise, like almost every other footballer would do. Its a money world.