Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta has seemingly opened the door to Aaron Ramsdale staying at the club in the summer window, despite brutally axing the Englishman from the first XI.
The Spaniard controversially brought in Ramsdale as his new number one for the 2021-22 season in place of Bernd Leno, in spite of his relegations with Sheffield United and Bournemouth in previous Premier League seasons.
The Englishman's arrival was not warmly received by the entire Arsenal fanbase, some of whom took to social media to express their disapproval in no uncertain terms, but Ramsdale quickly proved the doubters wrong in North London.
Quickly catching the eye with his acrobatic prowess during his debut campaign, Ramsdale then kept 14 Premier League clean sheets in the 2022-23 season, as Arsenal led the way for the majority of the year before slipping down to second place.
Arteta saw fit to bring in additional competition for Ramsdale in the shape of Brentford loanee David Raya, who forced his way into the XI after the September international break and has been the Gunners' undisputed first choice ever since.
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"Big reality" that Ramsdale remains in North London
As a result, Ramsdale's only Premier League appearances since Raya's debut have come against the Spaniard's parent club Brentford, firstly keeping a clean sheet in a 1-0 away win, albeit while escaping punishment for a couple of howlers.
The 25-year-old would not get away with such a clanger in March's home fixture with the Bees, being charged down by Yoane Wissa for the visitors' equalising goal, but he redeemed himself with two crucial second-half saves in a 2-1 triumph as Arsenal rose to the summit.
Arteta lauded Ramsdale's "amazing" recovery from his first-half error but quickly reinstated Raya back to the first XI, and the Gunners have been expected to sever ties with the former this summer amid interest from Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Newcastle United.
However, speaking to the media ahead of Wednesday's clash with Luton Town - where Ramsdale is expected to be on the bench again - Arteta affirmed that there is a good chance that the England international will still be at the club next year.
"Suggestion? There is a big reality that Aaron is here because he is our player and has a contract," said Arteta, who also refused to comment on reports that Newcastle have rekindled their interest in the goalkeeper.
Is Arteta's "big reality" claim that realistic?
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The decision to reward Ramsdale with a new contract just months before demoting him to the bench was a particularly peculiar one from Arsenal, albeit one they surely would not have sanctioned had Arteta not envisaged the Englishman being part of his long-term project.
The Gunners received no serious bids for the 25-year-old in the winter - they would have been expected to immediately turn them down either way - but their resolve is sure to be tested in the summer, when Ramsdale may or may not be flying the flag for England at the Euros.
Thanks in no small part to a lack of other available options earning regular minutes, Ramsdale remains Jordan Pickford's number two, but there are no guarantees that he will force his way onto the plane for Germany if domestic minutes continue to elude him.
Not long after his son fell below Raya in the pecking order, Ramsdale's father claimed that the goalkeeper had "lost his smile" at Arsenal, who will almost certainly take up their option to sign Raya permanently once the campaign is over.
Barring a severe injury or severe loss of form for the Brentford loanee, another campaign on the fringes awaits Ramsdale in 2024-25, but the chances of the 25-year-old sticking around this summer are seen as wafer-thin.
Ben Knapton
