Aaron Ramsdale responds to Newcastle United transfer 'agreement' with three-word Arsenal message

Aaron Ramsdale has hit back at rumours suggesting he has reached an agreement to sign for Newcastle United from Arsenal this summer.

The England international had previously worked hard to become the Gunners' first-choice goalkeeper under Mikel Arteta, making 78 appearances following his £24m switch from Sheffield United three years ago. Then out of nowhere, the manager made the huge call to loan in David Raya from Brentford ahead of the 2023/24 campaign, and so Ramsdale has been consigned to a back-up role in recent months.

Raya is fully expected to complete a permanent £27m move as part of the terms of his initial loan deal, and that would therefore leave Arteta's previous favourite with a big career decision to make in the coming months.

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Ramsdale still has two years remaining on his North London contract, though it has been widely reported his club would be open to offers. Including the Magpies, various Premier League clubs have been linked, until yesterday Sky Sports journalist James Green made the biggest claim yet regarding the 'keeper's future.

He said: "I understand and I found out directly from the player’s agent that one of our players is off to Newcastle and a deal has been agreed. It’s my understanding that Aaron Ramsdale has agreed to join Newcastle in the summer.

"That’s come direct through speaking to somebody I’m very close with who is close with his agent and he says it’s done. The deal is happening."

However, it appears this story is wide of the mark, as confirmed by the man in question. He took to X, formerly known as Twitter, on Friday night with a brief but extremely clear message:

So it seems - at least for now - the Magpies have not made a move for any goalkeeper in the transfer market ahead of the window's opening.

For the best part of the current campaign, Eddie Howe has had to rely on Martin Dubravka in Nick Pope's absence. The latter has not featured at all since December 1, when he dislocated his shoulder against Manchester United, and will now only look to return in time for the start of the 2024/25 campaign.

With the ongoing situation whispers in the transfer market have started to spread, with Ramsdale's name just one heavily mentioned. The other is Valencia's Giorgi Mamardashvili, who Spanish publication Relevo claim to have been watched by Newcastle as he kept a clean sheet against Rayo Vallecano last Sunday.