Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey could be used in a deal with Barcelona for Ousmane Dembele, according to The Sun.

The Welsh international is yet to put pen to paper on a contract extension, raising uncertainty over his future at the Emirates, but is he really going to be used as a makeweight in a deal for a player Arsenal don’t need?

Emery wants to keep Ramsey

New Arsenal manager Unai Emery has spoken out in favour of keeping Ramsey, calling the 27-year-old “quality” and “an important player”, so it’s unlikely he would let the central midfielder leave this summer. His deal with Arsenal has less than 12 months to run, but the Gunners are likely to renege on any suggestion of cashing in early as the new season starts in the coming days.

Arsenal aren’t short on options in the midfield, boasting Granit Xhaka, Lucas Torreira, Mohamed Elneny, Matteo Guendouzi and Ainsley Maitland-Niles in the engine room, but Ramsey’s exit would be harmful. The Welshman is highly industrious and is a cultured player perfectly engrained in the philosophy of the club. He could be a future captain if he commits his future.

An exit isn’t on the cards this summer, certainly not for the long-serving star to be in a deal for an out-of-form winger who wouldn’t improve Emery’s squad.

Arsenal don’t need Dembele

The Gunners aren’t lacking in attack, which makes the latest rumour surrounding them and Barcelona all the more bemusing. Dembele joined the Catalan giants from Borussia Dortmund in 2017 and has gone on to make 23 appearances in all competitions, scoring and creating 12 goals.

The French international, who has represented his country on 16 occasions, has struggled for form in Spain and could be moved on as he won’t play a key role in the first-team this season. Arsenal may have been considering a move for Dembele in the past, but they have no reason to try and bring the £135m man to England.

Emery has Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Mesut Ozil, Danny Welbeck and Alex Iwobi as options in the final third, so why would Arsenal need another new face? Dembele has been struggling in the last year too, so the Londoners wouldn’t go out of their way to gamble on such an expensive player.

Despite multiple publication reporting that Ramsey could be used in a swap deal for Dembele, the story appears to be pure fabrication.