New Arsenal manager Unai Emery has made no secret about his admiration for Aaron Ramsey, calling the Welsh midfielder “quality” and possessing “the ambition I want” in a recent press conference. However, Ramsey has less than 12 months remaining on his current deal with the Gunners and has made little progress since admitting in March that initial talks hadn’t let to a breakthrough.
Emery said about Ramsey’s situation recently: “I’m very happy with him. For me, every day, every training session, he has the ambition I want. He’s working with a quality, the type of ability that I want. I want to work with him. (His new contract) is a question for the player and for the club. In my opinion, I’ve said to Ivan, Raul and Sven that I think he’s an important player for me.”
Signed from Cardiff City in 2008, the 27-year-old has gone on to make 331 appearances in all competitions for the Gunners, winning three FA Cups and two Community Shields. He’s been a regular in the midfield and is arguably one of the best of his kind in the Premier League, but his future is uncertain. Fans should take hope from the lack of clubs being linked with Ramsey, however, which suggests his representatives aren’t using the situation to their advantage.
Alexis Sanchez running down his Arsenal contract forced the Gunners to complete a swap deal with Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Jack Wilshere would turn down the offer of an extension to join West Ham United on a free transfer. Ramsey leaving Arsenal in a possibility, but he’s made no suggestion that he’s weighing up other offers elsewhere or waiting on guarantees from the club.
Arsenal have been strengthening their options in the engine room this summer, signing Lucas Torreira from Lazio who impressed for Uruguay at the 2018 World Cup in Russia and Mattéo Guendouzi from Lorient who is a highly-rated French u20 international. Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Mohamed Elneny look set to play a bigger role in the first-team this season too which will give Emery plenty of choice.
Ramsey and Granit Xhaka partnered each other last season and could be in line to start together in 2018/19, but Torreira and Elneny will give the new manager a selection headache. Ramsey is an important player nevertheless and needs to be tied down for the long-term.
There’s no suggestion another club is luring him away from Arsenal, but the longer it takes to agree an extension the more speculation will arise.
