AFCB Transfer News

Chelsea and Tottenham in battle for goalkeeper?

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Premier League bitter rivals Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly in a battle to sign England Under 21’s international goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale.

In a season that could well be the season that never was, Ramsdale has had the breakthrough campaign of his career.

At this stage of the 2018/19 season, twelve months ago, AFC Bournemouth were swapping between veteran goalkeepers Artur Boruc and Asmir Begovic, with Republic of Ireland youngster Mark Travers kicking around as a third choice option for Cherries manager Eddie Howe.

Meanwhile, Ramsdale was in the third tier of English football, out on loan with AFC Wimbledon having not featured for the Cherries since making the move to Dean Court in January 2017 in a £1million move from Sheffield United.

At the time Ramsdale was already being scouted by other Premier League clubs, with Everton having had a reported transfer offer rejected by Sheffield United before AFC Bournemouth’s approach.

He would go on to spend the first half of 2018 out on loan with League Two side Chesterfield before his move to AFC Wimbledon.

At the end of that campaign, Ramsdale was at a crossroads, would he breakthrough into the Cherries squad having just turned 21-years-old, or would he be making another loan move away from the south coast?

Another loan for Ramsdale appeared to be on the cards, with another step up to the Championship making sense.

Both Huddersfield Town and Millwall were linked with a temporary move last summer.

However, in somewhat of a surprise move Ramsdale was handed the number one position by Eddie Howe, ahead of Artur Boruc and Mark Travers, whilst Asmir Begovic was farmed out on loan to Qarabag in Azerbaijan and then to Italian giants AC Milan.

So far this season Ramsdale has made 28 appearances, all of them coming in the top flight of English football. He has impressed at Premier League level and has looked very much at home in his new position, despite his lack of experience at this level.

In October 2019 he was rewarded with a brand new contract at AFC Bournemouth. When he initially joined in January 2017 he had signed a four-and-a-half-year contract running until the summer of 2021, his new contract was described as simply “long-term” (however the Daily Mail report the contract runs until 2024).

He would have been in contention for an England call-up ahead of the European Championships taking place this summer, but as it is now expected that the tournament will be rearranged due to the Coronavirus outbreak across Europe, attention turns to the remainder of this campaign, if it is indeed completed and next season, whenever that may be!

According to the Daily Mail, AFC Bournemouth should be expecting an approach when the transfer window opens from either Chelsea or Tottenham Hotspur or maybe even both clubs.

The report claims…

The London rivals are both weighing up changes in their goalkeeping departments at the end of the season and have Bournemouth’s Ramsdale on their radars.

At Tottenham Hotspur, he would be seen as a second-choice challenger to World Cup winner and Spurs captain Hugo Lloris.

Whilst at Chelsea, he would be brought in to challenge £72million signing Kepa Arrizabalaga.

The article concluded by stating that AFC Bournemouth are determined to retain the youngster however their hopes of doing so are likely to recede if they fail to stay in the Premier League this season.

Your say…

docmandu wrote…

Got to love Rambo. He’s been an excellent addition to the 11.

His passion is easy to spot when watched live and his frustration palpable whenever we concede. For a young lad, he’s a real motivator of his more senior defensive teammates.

I was super impressed with him when I travelled to the Brighton game …… he spent longer than anyone staying well after all other players had left the AFCB section, apologizing to the fans and saying sorry.

His performances this season have been sublime – Join the conversation, click here.

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DJ

Up The Cherries!

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