The past 24 hours have seen multiple reports, in various highly credible outlets, of Arsenal goalkeeper reaching an agreement to leave for Newcastle United this summer. Some outlets have even stated an agreed upon fee of £15m.
Ramsdale has apparently rubbished these reports, as he posted on his official X (formerly known as Twitter) account a terse three-word message: “News to me,” followed by a laughing emoji.
News to me ?
— Aaron (@AaronRamsdale98) May 17, 2024
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So either all these reports are actually wrong, or they’re right but jumping the gun somewhat. It could be that the so-called “done deal” is going to happen, but it is not quite there yet.
And even if it were, you can understand why Ramsdale would want to hold off on it going public.
This would all have to create pretty weird feelings for Newcastle shot-stoppers Martin Dubravka and Nick Pope.
His potential transfer, whether is to be to Newcastle, or anywhere else, would be a major distraction to Championship Sunday and the Gunners’ push to try and win the league title.
And just in case Ramsdale truly wants to stay, and try to win his place back, then all of this would be extremely awkward.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to Ravens Wire, part of the USA Today SMG’s NFL Wire Network and the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and the Washington Times. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.