Aaron Ramsey appears to be in line for a shock move to Lazio as a potential replacement for Sergej Milinkovic-Savic. The Serbian is in demand this summer and he could move out of the Serie A club. For Arsenal, selling Ramsey, who earns £110,000-a-week, would only make sense if they have a like-for-like replacement lined up. Interestingly enough, the Gunners are reportedly targeting a move for Argentine playmaker Ever Banega from Sevilla.
Banega has played under Unai Emery before, meaning he should be open to the prospect of moving to London. He has been superb for Argentina in the ongoing FIFA World Cup and he seems like a promising target for the Gunners.
Relinquishing Ramsey won’t be a problem for Arsenal, provided they complete a deal for Banega. Given his skills, the 29-year-old will fit Emery’s system as a creative midfielder.
Ramsey is particularly well-known for his ability to score goals from the midfield. He can be quite a threat, owing to his ability to make late runs into the box. The fact that he chipped in with 7 goals and 8 assists in 24 Premier League appearances last season speaks volumes.
However, what Banega would potentially bring to Arsenal is calmness in the midfield. The Argentine can supply passes from deeper positions and also has the ability to score goals. In fact, when compared to Ramsey, Banega seems quite similar but his skills seem more refined.
More often than not, Ramsey can get caught higher up the pitch which prevents him from fulfilling his defensive duties. Banega, meanwhile, has the ability to play slightly deeper and influence both aspects of the game. Furthermore, the Argentine is capable of breaking up play in the midfield to start counter-attacks with his razor-sharp passes.
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Therefore, if we directly compare the two players, we can clearly see a better version of one in another. While Ramsey is a great No.10, Banega is the better midfielder who offers a lot from that position.
Currently, Arsenal are not short of options up front but they need an accomplished central midfielder to partner the likes of Granit Xhaka and possibly Lucas Torreira. To that end, Banega can fulfil their demand.
