"They were making these numbers up about paying Bournemouth back" – Aaron Ramsdale slams Sheffield United over Arsenal transfer saga
Aaron Ramsdale joined Arsenal from Sheffield United in a deal worth £30 million following a protracted transfer saga that nearly stretched throughout this summer. Reflecting on the transfer, the goalkeeper has criticized the Blades over the way his exit was handled.
Ramsdale has revealed that a lot of things didn't go well behind the scenes at his former club. The Englishman has also hit out at Sheffield for demanding £40 million for his transfer while turning down bids from suitors.
Aaron Ramsdale makes his Arsenal debut in their Carabao Cup tie against West Brom 🧤
Was paying £24 million for him a gamble worth taking? 🤔 https://t.co/RTGmlCm42r
"I’d have played in the Championship. But there was a lot at Sheffield United, behind the scenes, which wasn’t going very well," Aaron Ramsdale was quoted as saying. Obviously they had the manager sacking a few weeks ago, and you could see that coming in pre-season," said Ramsdale.
“I spoke to Mikel Arteta and then I was on the phone to my agent telling him to get it done. The numbers being thrown out, I was like how can someone be saying £40m? It doesn’t make sense. I understand they wanted to get someone else in and the market wasn’t that wide. But at some point it has to be a level playing field," he added.
"It got to the point of me saying, "This is what I want to do". They said they wouldn’t stand in my way if bids came. But there were bids coming and they were turning them down. And they were making these numbers up about paying Bournemouth back," added the Arsenal keeper.
The goalkeeper then went ahead to explain how he forced his move away from Sheffield, revealing that he had to refuse to play at some point to secure his exit.
Ramsdale with an amazing save! 😱
#ARSNEW
🔴 0-0 ⚫️ (30)
"I was told on the day of the game another bid has come in, so I decided to play, but then after the game they rejected it. Normally if you don’t get a move, you’re rewarded with a new contract," he explained.
"I’m not naming names, but someone at the club 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 said ‘I won’t play against West Brom’, do what you want."
Aaron Ramsdale's numbers for Arsenal this season
Aaron Ramsdale endured a slow start to life at Arsenal this season. But he's managed to turn the situation around and has established himself as a fan favorite. The goalkeeper has been a reliable figure in recent weeks, producing decent displays for the Gunners.
So far, Ramsdale has made 18 appearances for Arsenal across all competitions, recording eight clean sheets to his name. It's worth noting that he's displaced Bernd Leno to become the club's first-choice keeper.