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Where does Arsenal signing Aaron Ramsdale rank among big-money goalkeepers in the Premier League?

After Aaron Ramsdale’s £30million move to Arsenal was confirmed, we rate other recent big-money Premier League deals for goalkeepers.

"Some stupid people questioned me spending all that money on Peter Shilton. But I'll tell you one thing - a team with only an OK goalkeeper is always looking over its shoulder." - Brian Clough.

There can be little doubt that Clough was right all those years ago. Show us a team without a great goalkeeper and we'll show you a team who were never great.

Recently, Premier League clubs have started to splash the cash when bringing in goalkeepers, with Aaron Ramsdale's move to Arsenal the latest example.

With Ramsdale the latest addition (in a fashion) to the list of pricey shot-stoppers, Planet Sport rates the Premier League's current crop of expensive goalkeepers.

Emiliano Martinez

Arsenal to Aston Villa

When: 2020

Fee: £17million

Arsenal's weird goalkeeper merry-go-round started with them dropping an absolute clanger by letting Emiliano Martinez go to Aston Villa.

Okay, so the fee was maybe too good to turn down for a second choice keeper who likely wanted to go play somewhere, but should he have been the Arsenal No. 2 in the first place?

The Argentinian has made a big difference to Villa, while Arsenal scrape the market looking to spend more on a goalkeeper who at best seems to be as good as Martinez. 

Rating: 8/10

Aaron Ramsdale

Bournemouth to Sheffield United

When: 2020

Fee: £18.5million

Interestingly, Ramsdale already appears on this list and not all that auspiciously if truth be told.

In many ways, it is a tough one to judge, though. Ramsdale absolutely did not get Sheffield United relegated. He was decent and pretty good at times, actually.

That said, the Blades were generally woeful throughout the season and were relegated with an impressively low points total. For Ramsdale, it was his second successive Premier League relegation and while he certainly wasn't responsible for it, it doesn't exactly shine well on him either.

That said, they made some quick money on him, so he can't have been that bad.

Rating: 5/10

Bernd Leno

Bayer Laverkusen to Arsenal

When: 2018

Fee: £19.3million

From Ramsdale himself to the man with whom he will be directly competing with at Arsenal.

Leno, like Ramsdale at Sheffield United, has done okay for Arsenal yet seems to have fallen victim to playing behind what has become a pretty average team at the Emirates.
If you're trying to follow the weird Arsenal goalkeeper strategy then let's briefly recap: Sell Martinez because you prefer Leno, then pay more for Ramsdale, who is probably not as good as Martinez, to presumably replace Leno.

Rating: 6/10

Edouard Mendy

Rennes to Chelsea

When: 2020

Fee: £22million

Okay, enough of the madcap world of Arsenal goalkeeper assessment. Time for a good one.

Mendy has not been spectacularly good for Chelsea or anything like that, but top keepers rarely have to be. He has been a reliable and dependable presence, though, and established himself as a man who can get a defence out of trouble.

For the relatively modest 2020 price they paid for him, I don't see many Chelsea fans having any complaints about Mendy at all.

Rating: 7/10

Jordan Pickford

Sunderland to Everton

When: 2017

Fee: £25million

Ah the enigma that is Jordan Pickford. Brilliant at times, baffling at others.

Pickford is coming off the back of an exceptional Euro 2020, but it's important to not let that sway the overall assessment too much.

There have been times when he has looked to be barely clinging onto his role as Everton No. 1. But overall he has provided stability for the Toffees and no shortage of big moments. For the fee they paid, he's definitely been a good signing.

Rating: 7/10

Ederson Moraes

Benfica to Manchester City

When: 2017

Fee: £34.7million

Imagine being as good as Ederson Moraes and still only being your country's second best goalkeeper.

Pep Guardiola's Manchester City play a unique brand of soccer and that requires a unique kind of goalkeeper, and Ederson is certainly that. The Brazilian would be a good goalkeeper for anyone else, but he is exceptional in the Citizens side.

The summer he signed, Jordan Pickford was available, and many thought his good feet made him a perfect fit for City. They paid extra and went for Ederson instead. It was a superb decision.

Rating: 9/10

Alisson Becker

Roma to Liverpool

When: 2018

Fee: £65million

Liverpool were always a fine team. They went agonisingly close to the title under Brendan Rodgers, but defensively there were just not quite strong enough.

Jurgen Klopp fixed that by going and spending huge money on Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker, and the success followed.

It looked like an enormous fee for a keeper, but Alisson is almost certainly the most complete player in the world in his position and no one can say he hasn't justified the outlay.

Rating: 9/10

Kepa Arrizabalaga

Athletic Bilbao to Chelsea

Fee: £71million

When: 2018

No goalkeeper has ever cost more than Kepa Arizabalaga, although in many ways he remains largely unproven as a top-level stopper.

Chelsea will say they paid for his potential longevity. He was just 23 when he was signed and if you get 15 years out of him then no one questions it.

However, despite being their No. 1 for two seasons, Kepa lost his place to Mendy and has been one of the world's most expensive back-ups recently. At the moment, the gamble on his development does not appear to have paid off.

Kepa is, of course, still a fine goalkeeper. He's just not looking like a top one right now.

Ranking: 3/10

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