JOKANOVIC TELLS GUNNERS HE WOULD RATHER HAVE RAMSDALE THAN £100M
SHEFFIELD UNITED manager Slavisa Jokanovic does not blame Arsenal for being interested in Aaron Ramsdale, but warned they will have to cough up to get him.
The Gunners are in some disarray, having kicked off the season with defeat at Brentford and seemingly having resolved few of their problems from last season.
One player they are keen on as they look to bolster their squad is England international goalkeeper Ramsdale, who is understood to be eager to make the move.
Jokanovic confirmed Arsenal are chasing, with a number of bids already rejected and another of £28million reportedly tabled.
The Blades boss does not want to lose his No.1, although understands his desire for top-flight football. He said: ‘Right now he is a United player. At this moment there is no change. I don’t take these kinds of decisions and from when I signed the contract the club informed me two players have the possibility to leave the club. One is Aaron.
‘I can understand there is interest in him,
If Arsenal want him then they need to spend a lot of money
as one of the most talented English players. But because he’s one of the best players in the league, his price is really high. It’s natural that he wants to be a Premier League player. I am talking with him and he believes it can be a good move for himself, but it’s not a bad thing for him if he stays with us.
‘In the end it is the decision of Arsenal. If they want him, they need to spend a lot of money. It can happen, but it is something I don’t want. If you ask me if I want to sell him for £100m, I say no.
‘But I can understand the business side of both clubs and of Aaron too. He understands very well what I want. I’m not the guy who wants to sell him for any price. If Arsenal want to offer £100m and it was up to me, I’d say no. But I must be responsible and prudent for the club too.’
It could be a busy last couple of weeks of the transfer window for Arsenal, with Martin Odegaard potentially close to making a permanent switch after his loan spell from Real Madrid last season.
There is also plenty of speculation about Barcelona wanting captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, with the Spaniards apparently willing to offer Philippe Coutinho as a makeweight in the deal.