With Gavin Bazunu out until 2025 with the Achilles injury he sustained in April, Russell Martin has called upon Alex McCarthy to deputise.
The 34-year-old was out of contract at the end of last season and was expected to leave with little fanfare, but Bazunu’s injury saw him called into action where he was important in helping Southampton win the play-offs.
That saw McCarthy handed a new contract but concerns over his ability with the ball at his feet were rife throughout a pre-season in which he did little to calm the nerves with his distortion.
That issue was highlighted emphatically in Southampton’s opening day loss at Newcastle United as the only goal of the game came from McCarthy inexplicably passing straight to Alexander Isak.
He squared the ball to Joelinton for an easy finish, leaving the Saints with nothing to show for an impressive display away at tough opposition.
Southampton handed ‘renewed’ hope of signing Aaron Ramsdale but face Wolves problem
That mistake has only served to increase the urgency of signing a new goalkeeper and Southampton hope that might be Aaron Ramsdale.
The 26-year-old slipped to second choice at Arsenal last season and is eager to play first-team football again, meaning Southampton have expressed their interest in the England international.
Understandably, the Saints face competition for the goalkeeper’s signature, but remain hopeful of Arsenal allowing him to leave on loan for the season.
Give Me Sport have reported that Arsenal have ‘refused to rule out the possibility of sanctioning a loan move during the final days of the summer transfer window, handing the likes of Southampton renewed hope of striking a deal’.
However, the Saints could be second best to Wolves, with Give Me Sport claiming Ramsdale is ‘keen to play under [Gary] O’Neil if he chooses to move onto pastures new in the coming days’.
The report also claims that Wolves have lodged an initial loan offer which includes an option to buy in order to beat the likes of Southampton, Bournemouth and Ajax to the signing of Ramsdale.
The player himself is understood to have ‘delayed making a final decision on his future as he wants to play at the highest level possible’ with Arsenal ‘keen to negotiate a deal which meets their expectations’.
Ramsdale the perfect solution to Southampton goalkeeper woes
The competition from Wolves will be unwelcome for Southampton, particularly if a move to Molineux is favourable for Ramsdale.
However, Wolves do currently have Jose Sa as their number one and Ramsdale would again find himself in a position where he is battling for the number one spot.
At Southampton he guaranteed to come straight into the side and play a key role in the club’s battle for survival.
Ramsdale is not perfect with his feet but is far more confident than McCarthy and would be a significant upgrade in terms of shot-stopping too.
With Bazunu set to return next year, Southampton do not want to have to spend to sign a new goalkeeper and would prefer a temporary fix so a loan for Ramsdale looks the perfect solution.
