Gary Neville thinks Mikel Arteta was right to drop Aaron Ramsdale in favour of David Raya, who was just signed.
After taking Raya, 28, on loan from Brentford last season, Arsenal signed him. Fans and experts had different feelings about the move, and many didn’t understand it. But Raya got off to a rough start at the Emirates Stadium, but he got better and kept more clean sheets than any other Premier League custodian before making the move real this summer.
The manager didn’t make it clear right away if he wanted his two goalkeepers to fight for minutes, but Raya quickly became the top player. The winner of Euro 2024 showed how good he is with a “Save of the Season” candidate in the recent win over Aston Villa, and Neville praised the Gunners manager for seeing what few others did.
Arteta fired Ramsdale in favour of a new player, and Neville defended the manager’s actions when asked if they were the right thing to do. He also said that people outside of Arsenal, including himself, had some of the wool pulled over their eyes.
“I mean, I felt bad at the time. “And what I didn’t like about the idea that you could have two No. 1s competing for a spot,” he said on The Gary Neville Podcast. “I think that doesn’t happen.” The next few weeks will be tough for Chelsea because they have a lot of goalkeepers and don’t know who will start. It’s never worked for me.
“In the end, we found out that Mikel Arteta was picking David Raya as his first choice and quietly letting Ramsdale down.” He didn’t just say, “Look, David Raya is my first choice custodian” at the news conference. Instead, he said, “No, I’ve got two.” I want them both to do well.
Including Ramsdale in the talk, even though it looks like there was no plan to switch roles, worked really well. Raya won the Golden Glove in his first Premier League season with Arsenal, and he’s been in great shape so far this season.
This was the latest sign that the custodian who used to play for Blackburn and Southport is ready to grow again this season. But Ramsdale’s chances of fighting for a single spot on the team look worse than ever.
David Raya and Aaron Ramsdale of Arsenal warm up before the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Arsenal FC at St. James Park on November 4, 2023, in Newcastle Upon Tyne, England.
Many clubs are thought to have asked if Ramsdale was available, with Wolves being the most recent to do so. Not only Arsenal, but also Ajax and Southampton have been linked with moves for the replacement this summer, but nothing official has happened yet.
The Gunners’ great defensive record last season can’t be credited to Raya alone, since the team has other strong defenders as well. Even though Raya’s purchase caused some confusion at first, Arteta’s plans for the custodian shirt were always very clear.
