They say nothing is ever over until the fat lady sings, and Southampton boss Russell Martin is not going to sit back and relax until she clears her throat and hits the stage.
But, after concerns over his fitness led to The Saints aborting a deal for Feyenoord goalkeeper Justin Bijlow, it appears highly unlikely that Southampton will miss out on their other leading shot-stopper target before Friday’s 11pm deadline.
HITC understands that the Premier League newcomers have agreed terms with Aaron Ramsdale.
The England international is keen to leave Arsenal after falling behind David Raya in Mikel Arteta’s pecking order.
And Southampton, expected to pay around £25 million, will give Ramsdale the chance to re-establish himself as one of the finest glovesmen in the division.
Southampton close in on Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsdale
Martin confirmed during his Friday press conference, via Sky Sports, that the signing of Ramsdale is indeed on the cards.
And maybe if Southampton felt they had any chance of luring him to St Mary’s earlier in the window – the manager admitting that they were initially embarking on Ramsdale more in hope than expectation – perhaps they could have avoided that whole Bijlow saga in the first place.
“I’ve learnt in my short spell as a manager that things can change very quickly, so nothing is done until it’s done,” Martin explains.
“If it happens – when it happens – it will be a huge signing for us. On the pitch, off the pitch, for the fans, the players and the staff and for our opposition as well. So I hope it gets completed and everyone is smiling at the end of it.
“We’ll have to wait and see. It is all about timings,” adds the former Swansea City and MK Dons boss. “I think the clubs are very advanced in what is going on with the paperwork and that stuff. But Arsenal are trying to bring one in themselves.
“I don’t know that situation but we’ll be kept on top of it. And the hope is he is registered on time to play tomorrow and train this morning. Then, we’ll have to wait and see.
“If you asked me four or five weeks ago that we would have a chance of signing Aaron Ramsdale, I would have thought you were crazy. We spoke a bit over that bit of time, pestered him a little bit!
“Even a week ago, I thought it wasn’t achievable. But it’s worth trying still.”
Arsenal want Neto after targeting Joan Garcia
Martin’s famously possession-obsessed gameplan should suit Ramsdale down to the ground.
He is used to playing out from the back, after all, a talent he honed at Bournemouth and then developed further under Mikel Arteta at the Emirates Stadium.
As Martin himself alludes to, Arsenal are looking to bring in a replacement for Ramsdale in the final few hours of the window.
Wigan Athletic’s England Under 21 ace Sam Tickle has been linked. HITC understands that the most likely arrival at this stage is Bournemouth veteran Neto, however, with a potential £25 million deal for Joan Garcia proving to be very complicated.
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