Manchester United and Chelsea have received a major boost in pursuit of Aaron Ramsey, whose contract talks with Arsenal have reportedly broken down.
Arsenal fans must be feeling a sense of Deja Vu with another contract standoff. Last season, Arsenal were in a precarious situation with their handling of Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil’s contracts. And now, The Mirror report that Aaron Ramsey, who is a target for Manchester United and Chelsea, could be the next star name to leave, that too on a free transfer in the summer.
All throughout the summer, while the spotlight remained somewhat on Arsenal’s transfer dealings, fans also had an eye placed on the contract situation of Aaron Ramsey, who had just entered the last year of his deal with the Gunners. Arsenal were confident that Ramsey would stay put, and so was the player. But, there has been a breakdown in negotiations over the last few weeks.
The breakdown in talks has reportedly resulted in Arsenal offering no alternative to the original contract they had tabled. That said, the club are preparing for life after the Welshman as Ramsey could be expected to depart from the Emirates next summer, on a free transfer, which will pique the interest of Manchester United and Chelsea.
The turnaround in events comes after both parties had a mutual understanding between them to extend the stay. But, now the prospects are different. There is no reason revealed yet for the breakdown in talks, but some quarters believe it could be wage demands. Arsenal, in the past, have shown reluctance to pay players huge wages. But, if this is the case with Ramsey, the decision is set to cost the Gunners dearly.
Ramsey has no shortage of interest in him with Manchester United, Chelsea and Barcelona having their sights set on him in the Welshman. Juventus are the latest entrants to register their interest, making it an all-out battle for the services of the 27-year-old.
Manchester United, in particular, will be on the lookout for a midfielder, owing to their situation with Paul Pogba, which seems to be worsening by the day. The Frenchman is tipped to leave Old Trafford, either during the January window or in the summer, with Barcelona and Juventus reportedly interested.
Chelsea, on the other hand, were looking at a central midfielder and were thought to be interested in Ramsey during the summer window. However, the Blues ended up signing Mateo Kovacic on loan from Real Madrid. While the Croat’s performances have been at par with what they wanted it from him, Ramsey could be an option as Kovacic’s loan deal does not have an option to buy for the Blues.
Arsenal had been confident of agreeing terms with Ramsey over a new deal, which explain why they even rejected a £50 million bid for the midfielder this past summer. The decision though, might end up costing them dearly, especially if the Welshman leaves on a Bosman deal, that too for a Premier League rival like Manchester United or Chelsea.
Ramsey has been with Arsenal for more than 10 years now, featuring in 338 games in all competitions and has made important contributions to their recent success, including decisive strikes in two FA Cup finals. But, with the player entering his prime years, losing him on a free transfer will be a huge loss, particularly if he joins Manchester United or Chelsea.
