Chelsea have reportedly ended their interest in signing Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale following reports that they have submitted a bid for another goalkeeping target.
The 2023-24 season will likely have been Ramsdale's last in an Arsenal shirt, as the England international was brutally demoted to second choice behind Brentford loanee David Raya.
From September onwards, Ramsdale's only Premier League opportunities came in the two clashes with the Bees that Raya was ineligible for, two games that Arsenal prevailed in.
However, the former Bournemouth and Sheffield United man was guilty of mistakes in both matches - one of which led to a Yoane Wissa goal - and Raya's move has now been made permanent.
Following claims from his father that he had lost his smile in North London, and Ramsdale himself affirming that he never wanted to experience a season like 2023-24 ever again, an exit this summer seems inevitable.
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Chelsea 'not' considering Ramsdale swoop
A shock switch to London rivals Chelsea had been mooted for the 26-year-old, as the Blues are on the hunt for a new number one in the current transfer window.
Robert Sanchez began the 2023-24 season in between the sticks before ceding his spot to Djordje Petrovic following an injury, while Kepa Arrizabalaga is also back in the Blues' ranks after his Real Madrid loan.
However, Kepa is widely expected to be sold this summer, and Enzo Maresca is not convinced that Sanchez or Petrovic have the makings of an established number one just yet.
According to The Athletic, though, the Blues have ruled out Ramsdale as a target, and the same also goes for Burnley's James Trafford, whom they were previously considering a move for.
Instead, Chelsea are thought to be focusing their efforts on 22-year-old Villarreal goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen, whom they have reportedly made a first bid worth €20m (£16.8m) for.
What next for Ramsdale after Chelsea rejection?
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Whether Ramsdale would have accepted a transfer to one of Arsenal's closest rivals is another matter entirely, but the Stamford Bridge avenue being closed off leaves far more questions than answers.
The England international showed in his two seasons as Arsenal number one that he is Big Six quality, despite the odd lapse in concentration, but he will only join a club where he is guaranteed to be number one.
That likely rules Newcastle United out of the running, and a surprise switch to Bayern Munich as Manuel Neuer's successor had also been mooted, but those rumours died down relatively fast.
The summer transfer window has been one of significant goalkeeping change for Arsenal, but from their side, they are supposedly still expecting the Englishman to stick around.
Wolverhampton Wanderers' Daniel Bentley - a reported target - would arrive as a new third-choice goalkeeper rather than as a Raya backup, but the cloud of uncertainty over Ramsdale's future could hardly be any thicker.
Ben Knapton
