Ex-Arsenal keeper Ramsdale now fourth choice in the Championship

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Aaron Ramsdale has not played a competitive match in five months, and at 28 years old the former Arsenal goalkeeper is currently the fourth-choice option at a Championship club.

Ramsdale has not made a single Southampton matchday squad this season across the club's 10 games in the Championship and EFL Cup, with Daniel Peretz installed as Tonda Eckert's number one, George Long second choice and Jamie Jones back at the club primarily as a training goalkeeper.

It is a remarkable turn for a goalkeeper who, in April 2023, was days away from being a Premier League winner with Arsenal.

From PFA team of the year to the exit door

Arsenal paid £24m to sign Ramsdale from a relegated Sheffield United side in August 2021, a fee that drew scepticism at the time. He answered it quickly, ousting Bernd Leno and producing a series of standout saves — including the full-stretch stop from James Maddison's free-kick that Peter Schmeichel called "the best I've seen for years".

He made 89 appearances for the Gunners and kept 32 clean sheets, and was central to the 2022-23 title challenge that pushed Manchester City to the wire. Ramsdale made the PFA team of the year that season and was named goalkeeper of the year at the London Football Awards.

He was also at fault for the opening goal in the 3-3 draw with Southampton at the Emirates, a result that handed the initiative back to City. Four months later Arsenal signed David Raya from Brentford, and Ramsdale lost his starting place after just four league games of 2023-24.

His final appearance for the club came in a 2-1 win over Brentford in March 2024. He was sold to Southampton for £25m that August, having returned from Euro 2024 as an unused substitute throughout England's campaign.

Relegation, a Newcastle loan and now the sidelines

Southampton looked a natural fit under Russell Martin, whose build-from-the-back approach suited Ramsdale's distribution. Instead he made 30 league appearances for a side that finished bottom with 12 points and conceded 66 goals, more than any other goalkeeper in the division. It was the fourth relegation of his career, after Chesterfield, Bournemouth and Sheffield United.

A loan to Newcastle for 2025-26 followed, but he managed just two clean sheets in 23 appearances in all competitions and only 12 Premier League outings, conceding seven in the Champions League last-16 defeat by Barcelona.

Speaking to BBC Radio Solent, Eckert said: "The reality is that Rambo's story with the football club started before myself. We've had honest conversations from the first day of pre-season until the very last day of the transfer window. The expectations for him are clear to support the team in the best way and he's been very professional in doing that so far."

According to BBC Sport, Ramsdale turned down loan offers in England, Spain and Italy over the summer, with his wife having recently given birth to their second child and the family settled in the area. He is said to retain a good relationship with Eckert and the coaching staff and believes there is a route back into the side.

His former Bournemouth team-mate Asmir Begovic told BBC Sport: "I'd love to see Aaron playing again and hopefully it happens in January but I'm fully aware that it won't be a straightforward situation."

The January window will be the next point at which Ramsdale's situation can change.