'Option' - £18m Southampton signing brutally ignored from current team's plans

£18m Southampton signing Aaron Ramsdale is getting brutally ignored from loan team Newcastle United’s transfer plans.

Southampton and Aaron Ramsdale looked to be a perfect match when the Saints shelled out £18m to bring him from Arsenal in 2024. The club was aiming to regain authority as a well run mid-table Premier League club after promotion while Ramsdale had a point to prove away from Arsenal.

Well, Southampton failed terribly in the Premier League and just narrowly avoided breaking Derby County’s 11 points total. Things were a bit better for Ramsdale. He was back to being a No.1 in the top-flight for Southampton after serving as the backup to David Raya in his final Arsenal season.

As of today, Ramsdale is still playing and starting games in the Premier League. However, he is back to square one in the bigger picture. Just like at Arsenal, Ramsdale is viewed as the second-choice keeper at Newcastle United who only gets to play because Nick Pope has had an injury-ridden campaign.

A few days ago, it was rumoured that the Magpies were in no mood to pay Southampton for acquiring Ramsdale’s services on a permanent basis. Now, Newcastle United’s actions also convey the same feeling.

Newcastle United prepare Aaron Ramsdale replacement plan

According to I News, Newcastle United have started drawing out transfer plans for the upcoming 2026 summer transfer window. In their own words, I News pointed out a goalkeeping target Newcastle have in mind: “Lens goalkeeper Robin Risser, 21 and a France youth international, is an option to challenge Nick Pope next season.”

There was no mention of Newcastle United even weighing up an Aaron Ramsdale transfer talk with Southampton. From their point of view, it’s quite understandable to let a 27-year-old loan player depart and get a six years younger keeping talent between the sticks.

However, it’s a tough road ahead for Ramsdale as well as Southampton. The Saints record signing still stands at £22m. That makes the £18m transfer fee paid for Ramsdale a huge enough figure for the club to prioritise recouping as much of it as possible.

What next for Aaron Ramsdale at Southampton?

Newcastle United paid a substantial £4m loan fee for Aaron Ramsdale. That means Southampton have to recover a further £14m transfer fee to break even on the Ramsdale deal.

For a 27-year-old England international who still gets called up by Thomas Tuchel in every international break, getting a £15-20m amount should be doable. Even if Southampton still can’t find a permanent suitor, the club should not sanction another loan. Who knows, the next loan club also sticks with Ramsdale for a year and then opts against signing him permanently?

And as long as Ramsdale remains on Southampton’s books, it will be more difficult for Johannes Spors and co to pay a further £7m for another goalkeeper, Daniel Peretz. So, it all boils down to making a quick Aaron Ramsdale decision.

Either the Saints convince a Premier League club to take note of his Newcastle United showings and agree the transfer as soon as the market opens. Or, Southampton should name a cut-price fee of around £10m to lure clubs into a swift purchase. That would then make way for Daniel Peretz to come from Bayern Munich.