Sheffield United boss's brilliant Aaron Ramsdale memory ahead of Arsenal return amid transfer talk

Chris Wilder has joked that the sight of Aaron Ramsdale reminds him to buy his wife an anniversary card as the Arsenal goalkeeper prepares to make his first visit to Bramall Lane since moving to the Gunners in 2021. Wilder worked with Ramsdale during both the goalkeeper's spells in South Yorkshire.

The first saw him sold to Bournemouth in a deal that saw Wilder on his wedding day back in 2017 before returning to United in a big-money move in 2020. The one season of his second spell saw the Blades relegated but he did enough personally to impress Arsenal and after refusing to play for United in a game at West Brom, the move to London - for a fee that could have reached as high as £30m with add-ons - was pushed through.

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It initially looked a dream switch for Ramsdale as he established himself as the Gunners' No.1 and established a great rapport with the fanbase, sections of whom were hardly enamoured with his signing after back-to-back relegations with Bournemouth and the Blades. But this season has seen the England international lose his place to Brentford loanee David Raya, with speculation that Ramsdale may look to leave the Emirates this summer to play more regular first-team football.

United will be keeping a keen eye on those developments in the hope of banking a financial bonus by way of a sell-on clause and it will be interesting to see what reception Ramsdale receives at Bramall Lane on Monday night, after his acrimonious exit following the Blades' last top-flight relegation.

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"We kept in contact when I was at Watford, because Arsenal train just over the fence," Wilder said of Ramsdale. "I knew him as a young kid when we first walked through the door in 2016 and I've seen his progression. He'll be disappointed at the moment [not to be in the team] but that's not my issue or my problem.

"He was a great lad to work with, a great player to work with and we're all delighted that he's progressed his career." Asked if his wife had yet forgiven him for delaying their nuptials to put the finishing touches on Ramsdale's move to Bournemouth, Wilder laughed: "It's still etched there in my memory, as a reminder that I need to rush out and get a card."