The Athletic‘s Arsenal correspondent James McNicholas has confirmed the Gunners will likely withdraw from talks with Sheffield United unless they can agree a deal to sign Aaron Ramsdale before August 10th.

The Blades play a Carabao Cup first-round tie against Carlisle on that day, and if Ramsdale is involved, he will be cup-tied for the competition. Considering the 23-year-old is being bought initially as a ‘cup goalkeeper’, McNicholas claims they won’t pursue a deal any further if he features in the game next week:

“Ramsdale [has] got a League Cup game a week tomorrow (August 10th) in theory and playing in that would make him ineligible to be Arsenal’s cup goalkeeper which would basically be the point of signing him… I think that will provide some sort of notional deadline. It wouldn’t surprise me if Arsenal explore other options before then just to try to have things in place but that [deadline] may be the point where that one falls down.”

A search for a new goalkeeper is believed to be the club’s most urgent piece of transfer business and it is thought that if a move for Ramsdale collapses, an approach will be made for another target before the start of the season.

Arsenal have reportedly already made two bids for Ramsdale but Sheffield United are said to be driving a hard bargain. They are still holding out for a fee in excess of £30m.