Former Arsenal man Aaron Ramsdale was back in north London this past weekend but it was not a favourable return as he suffered relegation with Southampton after their 3-1 loss away at Tottenham.
The 26-year-old departed Emirates Stadium last summer for an initial £18million, 12 months on from David Raya joining on loan with his permanent move to Arsenal confirmed ahead of the 2024/25 season.
Though Mikel Arteta made it clear that he did not want to lose him, Ramsdale was keen to get back playing regular football but if he stays at St Mary's Stadium, that will be done in the Championship next season. Following his fourth career relegation, Ramsdale penned an emotional message to Southampton supporters.
"A very hard day & tough one to take," he wrote on Instagram. "This is a special club with amazing fans - we are sorry that it has ended like this. You deserve better.
"This club has come back from adversity on many occasions and this time will be no different. Still a lot of football to be played and we will keep trying to salvage positives from what has been an extremely difficult season.
"Thank you for sticking with us [red heart emoji]." As Ramsdale mentions, there are still games left to play and one of those, that is on the final day of the season, comes against his former club. While Ramsdale will enjoy seeing his old teammates again, the circumstances are far from ideal.
Having proved he is good enough to play in the Premier League, Ramsdale could seal an early exit from the Saints with Leeds United and Newcastle United being linked.
While both clubs are looking for a new shot-stopper, Southampton recouping the fee paid for his services appears unlikely. Since his switch to the south coast, Ramsdale's valued has dropped by £7.7million, as per transfermarkt.
Back in May 2024, Ramsdale was said to be worth £21.4million but a turbulent 11 months has seen that hit £13.7million.
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