Exclusive: Chelsea Lead the Race for Aaron Ramsdale as Southampton Face Relegation

Aaron Ramsdale will be offered a Premier League lifeline if Southampton are relegated this season. 

The Saints appear destined for the drop and are firmly rooted to the foot of the table.

Goalkeeper Ramsdale arrived at St Mary’s for £18million ahead of the club’s return to the top flight. 

But sources close to SportsBoom understand a number of Premier League clubs are on red alert to secure Ramsdale’s services if the Saints go down.

Ramsdale, who harbours ambitions of becoming England's number one, is understandably against dropping into the Championship and has a relegation clause in his contract.

According to SportsBoom sources, Chelsea are lining up a shock move for the former Arsenal keeper, who was named in Thomas Tuchel’s first England squad last week.

Neither Spaniard Robert Sanchez or Denmark’s Filip Jorgensen, signed for over £20million last summer, have set the world alight since Enzo Maresca’s arrival at Stamford Bridge.

A NUMBER OF SUITORS

Manchester United could enter the race if Ruben Amorim decides to move away from under-fire André Onana. 

Newcastle are also expected to reignite their interest in Ramsdale with Nick Pope nearing the exit door.  

Southampton would want to recoup the fee they splashed out on the shot-stopper less than a year ago, which would help towards their fight to get straight back to the Premier League.

It would not be the first time Ramsdale was relegated from the top flight, having gone down with bottom placed Sheffield United in 2021.

He immediately moved to Arsenal for a fee in the region of £25million and was first choice for two seasons at the Emirates. 

But Mikel Arteta, a student of Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, wanted a keeper with better distribution and Ramsdale was jettisoned to the bench when Brentford stopper David Raya joined on loan in 2023 before signing a permanent deal a year later.