Chelsea’s new project with Mauricio Pochettino at the helm has not exactly gone as well as anticipated prior to the new campaign.
The Blues have seen very little progress from last season in terms of results, as they are sitting in tenth place after 17 Premier League matches.
With that in mind, Pochettino wants to strengthen his team further by signing a new goalkeeper from top-flight and London rivals Arsenal.
Chelsea transfers latest – Aaron Ramsdale
According to a recent report from TalkSport, Chelsea are interested in Aaron Ramsdale and are contemplating making a move for the goalkeeper this winter.
The reason for the Blues potentially purchasing the Arsenal goalkeeper is due to Robert Sanchez recently suffering an injury, which has left 24-year-old Dorde Petrovic as their first choice.
The Gunners will not be willing to let the England keeper go until they sign a replacement, and their asking price is said to be £50m.
Aaron Ramsdale’s style of play
Ramsdale’s future at the Gunners looks uncertain following the signing of David Raya, who has replaced the ex-Bournemouth shot-stopper as Arsenal’s number one this season.
The 25-year-old started the first five competitive matches of the campaign, keeping just one clean sheet, but since then he has played just four times in 19 games.
With Arteta favouring his fellow Spaniard, Ramsdale could follow in the footsteps of Ashley Cole by switching a red shirt for a blue one.
The left-back went on to win ten trophies with the Blues, including the Champions League and the Premier League, after his move to the club in 2006.
This shows that Chelsea played a masterclass with the signing of the England international as they snapped him up from their rivals and won the two top trophies on offer to them each season.
Ramsdale could be the next Arsenal ace to make the move to Stamford Bridge before going on to achieve success if he goes on to win trophies at another London club.
The ex-Cherries star is a proactive keeper who has adapted his game to suit Arsenal’s high line. This sees him come off his line frequently, increasing the margin for error of the opponents through balls and therefore suppressing some opposition attacks.
Due to playing on such a dominant side, Ramsdale has often endured long spells without having to do much in terms of shot-stopping, yet his ball-playing ability has been highlighted as a slight weakness.
The table below provides evidence for the above and compares Ramsdale’s stats to Chelsea’s current first choice, Robert Sanchez's, from over the last 365 days across the top European leagues.
Passes attempted
25.68
31.26
Passes completed (launched)
2.65
2.93
Avg. Distance of Def. Actions
16.8
14.1
Save %
69.0%
68.3%
Crosses stopped %
6.1%
9.2%
As you can see by the crosses stopped percentage, Sanchez seems to be a much more commanding goalkeeper, especially in his own box, which provides calmness to the backline.
However, overall, Ramsdale and the Spaniard are relatively similar goalkeepers in style and output, succeeding in proactivity and slightly failing with the ball at their feet.
Ramsdale is an excellent goalkeeper who even Arteta described as “exceptional” on and off the field, but his confidence has taken a massive hit since being dropped by the boss.
A big-money move to Stamford Bridge could give him a much-needed confidence boost and allow him to hit top form once again, which could lead to the excellent sweeper coming in as the number one to, hopefully, play a part in a trophy-laden spell for Pochettino with Chelsea – as Cole did for the club in the past.