Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale nominated for the 2023 Ballon d’Or Yachine Trophy
Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale has been nominated for the 2023 Ballon d’Or Yachine Trophy.
The award is presented annually by France Football to the best-performing goalkeeper, and the England international has been rewarded with a nomination for his brilliant form in 2022-23.
Ramsdale will battle Barcelona’s Marc Andre ter Stegen, Fenerbahce’s Dominik Livakovic, Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martinez, Real Madrid’s Thibaut Courtois, AC Milan’s Mike Maignan, Al-Hilal’s Yassine Bono, Manchester United’s Andre Onana, RC Len’s Brice Samba and Manchester City’s Ederson for the award.
The Arsenal star is the first player from the club to be nominated for the award and has reacted to the news on his X account.
The Yachine Trophy (named after former Soviet Union goalkeeper Lev Yashin) started in 2019, with Alisson of Liverpool emerging as the inaugural winner, while Gianluigi Donnarumma of Paris Saint-Germain and Courtois won the following editions in 2021 and 2022, respectively, with the award cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The winner is selected by former Ballon d’Or winners and it will be interesting to see whether Ramsdale can win it having made the PFA Team of Year for last season following his heroics in goal for the Gunners.
Arsenal challenged for the Premier League title but eventually lost the race to Man City and will look to go one better this season.
Ramsdale will be keen to help his side triumph as they look to win the title again for the first time since 2004, but he faces fierce competition for his starting berth, with summer loan signing David Raya breathing down his neck.
The Brentford goalie has reportedly impressed manager Mikel Arteta with his ability to accurately play out from defence, with the Gunners boss now pondering starting him ahead of Ramsdale.
The former Sheffield United star will fancy his chances of retaining his spot in the starting XI having overcome several challenges all his career, and it will be intriguing to see how his battle with the Spain international goes.
