Southampton agree £25m deal for Arsenal goalkeeper Ramsdale

Southampton have agreed to sign the Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale for a fee that could rise to £25million.
The 26-year-old had initially been reluctant to move to a club that could be at risk of relegation, having suffered that fate with Bournemouth and Sheffield United.
However, Southampton have been his only significant option in recent days after Wolverhampton Wanderers moved to sign Sam Johnstone. Newcastle United had been interested in Ramsdale but they signed two goalkeepers and Ajax’s loan offer for him was rejected by Arsenal.
Ramsdale, who is scheduled to have a medical on Thursday, has wanted to leave the Emirates Stadium since he lost his starting place to David Raya last season, just months after agreeing a contract extension until 2026. Arsenal wanted to recoup as much of the £24million, rising to £30million, fee paid to Sheffield United in 2021.
As a replacement they have made a bid for Joan García, the 23-year-old Espanyol goalkeeper who has played for Spain at youth level.
Southampton resurrected their interest in Ramsdale after the proposed transfer of Justin Bijlow was cancelled amid concerns about a previous injury during his medical on Tuesday. Southampton’s first choice last season, Gavin Bazunu, will be out until the new year after he suffered an achilles injury in April.
Arsenal are set to sell Eddie Nketiah, the forward, to Crystal Palace for an initial £25million plus £5 million in add-ons. Reiss Nelson could also leave if the club sign another attacking player. It is unclear whether Jakub Kiwior will be allowed to depart now that Takehiro Tomiyasu, a fellow defender, has sustained a knee injury.
Crystal Palace are set to sign Maxence Lacroix for £17million from Wolfsburg, one of two centre backs who could join before the transfer window closes on Friday.
Oliver Glasner, the Palace manager, worked with Lacroix in helping Wolfsburg to qualify for the Champions League in 2021. Glasner has said that he wants to sign two centre backs if Marc Guéhi follows Joachim Andersen in being sold.
If Guéhi, who has been the subject of several bids from Newcastle United, departs, the combined fees for both defenders would generate nearly £100million.
The 6ft 3in Lacroix has been among the fastest players in the Bundesliga in recent seasons and is his club’s best tackler. The 24-year-old was appointed vice-captain by Ralph Hasenhüttl, the former Southampton head coach, who had assured supporters that the player would be staying despite having only a year left on his contract. Lacroix missed the defeat by Bayern Munich on Sunday with a bruised foot.
Lacroix, who is right-footed, followed his father in being a goalkeeper at the start of his career, but switched to being a striker by 13 at the Bordeaux youth academy. After moving to Sochaux, he became an attacking midfielder at 15, then a defensive midfielder and later a centre back. Sochaux sold him to Wolfsburg for £4.2million in 2020. He has been capped by France at youth levels.
Palace are considering whether to raise their offer for the other centre backs, Tomás Araújo, of Benfica, and Trevoh Chalobah, who has been valued at £25million by Chelsea after being told he has no future at the club. Chalobah, who earns about £80,000 a week, rejected a move to Nottingham Forest last summer as he wanted to play European football.
So far, Palace have made a profit of about £50million this summer, helped by the sale of Michael Olise to Bayern Munich for £50.8million. Palace paid £18million for Guéhi in 2021 and will owe Chelsea 20 per cent of the profit if he is sold.
Palace are set to sell Johnstone to Wolverhampton Wanderers for £10million. The goalkeeper was set to have a medical on Wednesday after Wolves were unable to do a deal for Ramsdale because of his wages of more than £100,000 a week. Arsenal also wanted a sale and not a loan.
Johnstone was the first-choice No1 under Glasner when the manager took charge in February, but the goalkeeper suffered an elbow injury a month later. Dean Henderson now has the Palace No1 shirt.
Palace are considering a move for Mark Travers as a potential replacement for Johnstone. Travers is likely to become surplus to requirements at Bournemouth, who have signed Kepa Arrizabalaga from Chelsea on loan. Travers works with Dean Kiely, the Palace goalkeeper coach, at Ireland.
Chelsea have also agreed a deal to loan Djordje Petrovic to Strasbourg for the season. The French club share the same owners as the west London club. Petrovic made 12 league appearances last season when he was favoured over Robert Sánchez by Mauricio Pochettino, then the head coach.
Wolverhampton Wanderers have agreed to pay an initial fee of £19.3million plus £2.5million in add-ons for Andre, the Fluminense midfielder, who was the subject of a rejected offer from Fulham in recent months. The fast and mobile player, who will have a medical on Friday, has a reputation for making a high number of interceptions and recoveries without going to ground.
Wolves have also agreed a deal worth about £300,000 for Ethan Sutherland, 18, the St Mirren winger, while the forward Gonçalo Guedes could leave despite scoring both goals in the 2-0 win against Burnley in the Carabao Cup second round on Wednesday night. Daniel Podence, a winger, may also exit.
Real Betis have made an approach to re-sign Giovani Lo Celso, the Argentina midfielder sold to Tottenham Hotspur for up to £55.3million after an initial loan in 2019. The 28-year-old has since had two spells on loan at Villarreal. Tottenham also want to offload Sergio Reguilón, the left back who like Lo Celso has a year left on his contract.
Leicester City hope to complete the signing of Bilal El Khannouss after a fee of £19million was agreed with Genk. The Morocco attacking midfielder, 20, has claimed one assist this season after scoring three and making six league goals last season.
Ipswich Town have signed Chiedozie Ogbene for £8million from Luton Town. The 27-year-old winger, who had five goal involvements for Luton in the Premier League last season, has joined on a four-year contract.
Tammy Abraham has agreed personal terms to move to AC Milan, if they can sort out a fee with Roma. The former Chelsea forward suffered a serious knee injury last season, when he scored one goal in eight league matches. He managed eight league goals in the previous campaign. Roma want to offload him as they have signed Artem Dovbyk, the Ukraine forward, from Girona.
Nicola Zalewski, the Roma and Poland full back, has been offered to Nottingham Forest.