Aaron Ramsey made 371 appearances for Arsenal before moving to Juventus last summer (Getty Images)
Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey is all set to leave the club when his contract expires at the end of the season. The 27-year-old Welshman is in the final few months of his contract with the Gunners.
Although there were negotiations over a new deal, the North London club decided to withdraw their offer, casting dark clouds over the player’s future at the club. (h/t The Independent)
Speaking of his current predicament at the Emirates Stadium, after the Gunners’ 1-0 win over Sporting Lisbon in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday, Ramsey said (h/t The Independent):
“Well, there is no contract on the table at the moment so there is nothing for me to consider or whatever.
“So I just have to get my head down, work hard and try and help this team as much as I can now. We’ll see where that takes me.”
Ramsey signed for Arsenal from Welsh outfit Cardiff City as a teenager, back in the summer of 2008, and has been a member of the Gunners’ first-team ever since. He did spend some time away on loan at Nottingham Forest and Cardiff during the 2010/11 season.
In his decade-long stint at the club, the 27-year-old has notched up 342 appearances for the North London outfit, scoring and assisting 60 goals apiece and winning three FA Cups and two FA Community Shields in the process.
A prominent member of the Arsene Wenger era, Ramsey is currently the longest-serving Arsenal player in the squad. However, he has found himself in and out of the team under new manager Unai Emery. So far in the 2018/19 campaign, the 55-time capped Wales international has featured on 11 occasions (7 starts) across all competitions, chipping in with a single goal and three assists.
A versatile operator and a team player through and through, Ramsey has donned various roles and responsibilities during his time at the club and has always managed to deliver. True, there have been injuries and a few inconsistent patches of form but the Welshman has come into his own in the past couple of seasons.
Emery is building something new and exciting at the Emirates and has begun on a solid note, leading Arsenal to 11 victories on the bounce now. And while Ramsey might have been in and out of the team at times, the midfielder has demonstrated that he still has plenty to offer to the team – his marvellous goal against Fulham a testament to that.
At 27, Ramsey is entering the peak years of his career. The Welshman has played close to 250 matches in the Premier League and has plenty of experience at the continental level as well. At a time when the team is undergoing somewhat of a restructuring and rebuild, it is important for Arsenal to have someone who has been at the club for long and has the experience to lead the side into a new dawn. And that is exactly what Ramsey provides them with.
There is no question that the midfielder has plenty left to offer to the club and judging by his comments, he remains keen on signing a new contract and prolonging his stay at the Emirates. And he has also shown that he can fit into the style and philosophy that Emery wants to bring to the club.
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In such a scenario, failing to hold on to the 27-year-old beyond the season and losing him to direct rival would be a blunder for Arsenal. Amidst interest from Chelsea and Manchester United (h/t Express), Arsenal must do everything they can to hold onto his services.
