Is Aaron Ramsdale the signing of the season?

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Is Aaron Ramsdale the signing of the season?

By Oscar Maung-Haley

 
While Arsenal may have fallen 4-0 away at Anfield to a rampant Liverpool side at the weekend, Aaron Ramsdale again stood out for the Gunners, producing a number of impressive saves to halt Jurgen Klopp’s side.
 
Had it not been for the newly-capped England international, Mikel Arteta’s side would almost certainly have lost by even more than four.
 
Since his introduction into the starting XI way back at the start of September against Norwich, Ramsdale has been a breath of fresh air between the sticks at the Emirates.
 
It leads us to ask, has he been the Premier League’s signing of the season?

The case for Ramsdale 

When Aaron Ramsdale signed for Arsenal in the summer from Sheffield United for a reported initial fee of £24m, it raised a lot of eyebrows.
 
Ramsdale had suffered back-to-back relegations with Bournemouth and Sheffield United, and hardly seemed like he was the answer to Arsenal’s problems at the back.
 
Fast forward to now and the 23-year-old has been a revelation for the Gunners, providing impressive saves, strong communication and deadly distribution since being handed a starting berth.

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He has been instrumental in helping Arsenal rise up the table and it can be no coincidence that the Gunners defence has improved monumentally since his debut against Norwich.
 
Prior to his Premier League debut for Arsenal, Mikel Arteta’s side had shipped nine goals in their opening three games.
 
Since then, they have only shipped eight in their next nine, with four of them coming against Liverpool.
 
In that time, he has kept five clean sheets too and made his England debut in a 10-0 win over San Marino.
 
He’s certainly been amongst the best shot stoppers in the Premier League this season, and is absolutely in the conversation for the best signing of the season.

The case for the rest of the field

It’s a crowded field when it comes to evaluating who exactly has been the best signing in the Premier League this season.
 
But there are two names in particular that have really stood out since their arrivals in the summer.
 
Signed from Lyon for around £13m, Burnley winger Maxwel Cornet has been a revelation at Turf Moor.
 
Eased into the starting line-up by manager Sean Dyche, he has been one of the standout performers in the Premier League this season, scoring an impressive five goals in his seven appearances.

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And alongside Cornet, the other standout name has been a loan signing made by Crystal Palace in the form of midfielder Conor Gallagher, whose strong form has helped the Eagles rise up the table too.
 
Loaned from Chelsea to Selhurst Park, the midfielder has scored four goals and provided five assists this season, operating at the heart of Palace’s midfield.
 
So good has his form been, he has also broken into the England squad earning his first cap against San Marino alongside Ramsdale.
 
Gallagher has also been incredibly impressive this season and both he and Cornet rival Ramsdale when it comes to the Premier League’s signing of the season.

Verdict 

Well, the truth is, all three have been incredible and have all added something different to their respective sides.
 
It’s a bit of a cop out, but they’re a hard three to separate.
 
Ramsdale has helped transform Arsenal’s defence, Cornet gives Burnley a spark they’ve never really had and Gallagher seems to get better week after week.
 
All three are worthy of the title of signing of the season so far, so let’s see where we are after the December action.
 
PHOTO CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES

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