Mark Schwarzer now says £30m Arsenal player is ‘too good’ to be a substitute

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Mark Schwarzer has insisted that Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale is simply too good to be a substitute.

Schwarzer posted on social media ahead of a crucial EFL Cup match for the Gunners against Brentford.

After being on the bench for the last three matches, Aaron Ramsdale should return to the starting line-up tonight.

When David Raya was brought in on loan from tonight’s opponents, the England international’s place in the side was suddenly under threat.

It wasn’t known what role Raya would play this season with Mikel Arteta insisting that he suddenly had two number-ones in the squad.

However, after the first international break, the Spaniard was installed into the team against Everton and kept back-to-back clean sheets.

He conceded twice against Tottenham and was potentially at fault for his role in Son Heung-min’s first goal.

Mark Schwarzer now believes that Ramsdale is too good to be a substitute for Arsenal going forward.

Where that leaves Raya is yet to be seen but the pressure is suddenly ramped up on the £30m player to perform this evening.

Schwarzer says Ramsdale is too good to be Arsenal substitute

Posting on X ahead of this evening’s game, Schwarzer simply said: “He [Aaron Ramsdale] is too good to be sitting on the bench each week.”

Arteta is in a virtually unique position in the Premier League League he’s asking two goalkeepers to share the role of being first choice.

Roberto De Zerbi is doing something similar at Brighton but made it clear before the campaign began that Bart Verbruggen and Jason Steele would be rotating throughout the season.

However, the roles of Raya and Ramsdale haven’t been as clearly defined publicly as the Brighton shot-stoppers.

Schwarzer believes that Ramsdale should be an Arsenal substitute which could see him consider his future at the club.

Ramsdale has international ambitions going into next summer’s European Championships.

He already has a difficult task in displacing Jordan Pickford who has barely put a foot wrong for the Three Lions.

His chances will be completely dashed if he spends much of this season sitting on the bench.