Arsenal are reportedly ready to part ways with Aaron Ramsey this summer, amid interest from Manchester United over a shock move.
According to a report by The Sun, Manchester United are set to be handed a boost in pursuit of Aaron Ramsey. Arsenal are prepared to sell the Welsh midfielder in the summer transfer window if they fail to agree terms with him on a new deal before the start of the 2018-19 season.
Ramsey has had a very eventful Arsenal stint to say the least. The player arrived at the Emirates in the summer of 2008, with a lot of excitement surrounding his talent, but his progress was slow to begin with a horrific leg break in only his second season sidelining him for a long time.
But, Ramsey has since got his career back on track and is now one of the most pivotal players for Arsenal. In fact, he was one of the standouts for the Gunners in an otherwise dismal season, with a superb record in front of goal – the Welshman has 11 goals and 12 assists in 32 appearances in another campaign hampered by a few injuries.
But while Ramsey is now an indispensable figure for the North Londoners, his future is mired in heavy uncertainty. The 27-year-old has little over one year remaining on his current Arsenal deal, with no movement over a possible renewal, which seems to have piqued the interest of possible suitors, chief among them being Manchester United.
The Red Devils were, in fact, set to bring him to Old Trafford before Arsene Wenger swooped him away to Arsenal at the very last minute. Heading into this summer’s transfer window though, Manchester United have reignited their interest in Ramsey, and for good reason.
Michael Carrick will be making the transition from a player to a coach next season, while Marouane Fellaini’s future at Old Trafford is up in the air. As a result, Jose Mourinho has already made it clear that Manchester United will be in the market for a midfielder in the transfer market this summer.
The only reason why a move for Ramsey might not make sense for Manchester United is the fact that his playing style is quite similar to Paul Pogba, which would lead to another unnecessary overload in the middle of the park, quite like the problem on the left side of the attack.
Nevertheless, Ramsey is a quality player, who would bring Premier League experience to the table, and should take little time to settle to a new club in the division. Arsenal though, are eager to tie the player down to a new deal, although no real progress has been made over a renewal.
The Gunners are eager to avoid getting into similar positions as they did last summer with Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez, with the latter coincidentally joining Manchester United in January. If Ramsey fails to agree to a new deal before the start of next season, Arsenal will start entertaining offers for him.
The report suggests that Arsenal would ask for around £40 million, perhaps a steep amount considering the length of his contract, but a fair price more or less in the current market conditions. It now remains to be seen if Manchester United indeed shell out the figure to sign Ramsey in the summer, or if he stays put at the Emirates.
