As it was recently announced, Aaron Ramsey is set to become a Juventus player in the summer after his contract ends with Arsenal. The 28-year-old has agreed to a four-year deal, ending his 11-year spell with the Gunners. Juventus will make him the highest paid British player of all time with a basic salary of just over £400,000 a week. However, many are beginning to wonder how it is has come to this for both the player and Arsenal. Many are wondering what does lie ahead for the Welshman in what will be a move to an elite club.
Has Aaron Ramsey Left Arsenal at the Right Time?
Time at Arsenal
Looking back on Ramsey’s time at Arsenal, many would say he never quite reached the heights he should have. Of course, his career stalled in 2010 when he suffered a horrific leg break in a match against Stoke City. It took him almost two years to get back to his best. Everyone remembers his 2013/14 season where he was magnificent as a goalscoring midfielder, managing 16 goals in all competitions in a slightly advanced position.
His record in finals was also good for the Gunners as he managed two goals in three FA Cup finals – winning on all three occasions. On the international side, he was an integral part of the Wales team which reached the semi-finals of the European Championships in 2016, even featuring in the Team of the Tournament. However, many fans would question his level of consistency over the years. As he can produce such high levels, they question why those levels have fluctuated over the years.
One stat which has probably gone under the radar is the fact he has played two less Premier League games than Premier League legend Thierry Henry and Ramsey is only ten wins behind. It is quite a staggering statistic when you consider the difference in squads that they both played in, also showing how unlucky he has been with injuries over the years; when he has played it’s resulted in a win almost 60% of the time.
What Has Caused Him To Leave?
Many people will be wondering is why Arsenal are letting him go. The Gunners did offer him a new contract, but he turned it down as they were not willing to meet his wage demands. What probably makes it worse is that Mesut Ozil barely makes the squad and he is sitting on £350,000 a week. Away from the financial side, he and Unai Emery clash in terms of playing styles and positions. Ramsey suits having that freedom in midfield, being allowed to roam further up the pitch. However, Emery doesn’t tend to feature a number eight in his team, meaning Ramsey is restricted to playing deeper without the license to roam. The lack of game time, combined with the contract talks, really put the nail in the coffin in terms of this move.
Fresh Start
As Juventus have got their man, it was reported that many other big clubs in Europe were indeed interested. Clubs such as Bayern Munich, Inter Milan, Real Madrid and even Barcelona had preliminary talks with the Welshman.
This is a real chance for him to have a fresh start where he will experience a vast difference in culture, which will be good for him. He will be going from a top four-challenging team to that elite club mentality, challenging for European glory every year. Also, the league is always seen as the absolute minimum which is going to be a very welcome but different change.
How Will He Fit In?
Despite having such an illustrious squad, Ramsey offers something different to any midfield that they currently possess. The way he plays should suit this team as it is already full of technically brilliant players; he adds to that list. Of course, there is competition with the likes of Blaise Matuidi, Emre Can, Sami Khedira and Miralem Pjanic. Those established squad members will be hard to compete with. Whereas Pjanic and Khedira suit the deeper role, he will most likely look to be part of a midfield regularly utilised by the manager.
Having that freedom to roam and join the attacks with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Paulo Dybala and others will suit Ramsey. Playing with top players all around him, of course, will help him. Finally, playing with an extremely well-organised defence will give him that license to go and play in the further areas of the pitch.
As the professional he is, he will give his all for Arsenal before this new challenge emerges. For now, it remains to be seen how this move will pan out, but seeing as he follows in the footsteps of Ian Rush and John Charles, he is certainly in good company.
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