Welsh wantaway?
Following Jack Wilshere’s departure from the Emirates for West Ham this summer, could another Arsenal midfielder be set to quit?
In a candid interview with Sky Sports, Aaron Ramsey admitted he is uncertain about his Arsenal future as he enters the last year of his contact.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Latest Videos FromThe Week
The Welsh star, who arrived in north London from Cardiff in 2008, is reportedly being tailed by Italian outfit Lazio and is said to be open to trying a new adventure overseas.
Wait and see
Ramsey’s agents are in discussions with Arsenal, and although Sky Sports says new boss Unai Emery has “made it clear he wants Ramsey to remain at the club”, the man himself gave little away when asked to comment on his future following a squad training session in Singapore.
“We’ll see what happens, but my agent and the club are talking,” Ramsey told the broadcaster. “I’m not sure exactly what it hinges on, I’m just leaving it to them to discuss and to figure it out but we are yet to come to an agreement.”
Asked how long the negotiations would take, Ramsey replied: “I’m not sure exactly. It’s taken a bit of time so far, so we will have to wait and see.”
According to the Daily Mirror, the midfielder has been offered a new five-year deal with a pay rise and is also a strong contender to lead the side in the prolonged absence of the injured Laurent Koscielny. “The captaincy is a massive responsibility and it would be an honour to captain this club,” said Ramsey.
Family affair
There’s a bizarre claim from talkSPORT about the reason why Steven N’Zonzi’s move to Arsenal has stalled. The France international is said to be “waiting for permission from his father before he can complete a move”. Unai Emery worked with the midfielder at Sevilla and has been chasing N’Zonzi for weeks, but it’s claimed that the Gunners aren’t willing to pay his full £36m release clause and are trying to haggle down the Spanish side.
Cash windfall
According to Spanish newspaper Estadio Deportivo, N’Zonzi’s dad “holds a unique personal sell-on clause which would entitle him to a cash windfall if Sevilla sell his son”, which is why the asking price isn’t budging. The way out of the impasse? Sevilla “may be willing to budge on their asking price should N’Zonzi senior agree to forfeit the clause”, says talkSPORT.
Iwobi to sign new deal
The Sun reports that midfielder Alex Iwobi has “snubbed interest from Lazio” and is set to sign a new five-year deal with Arsenal. The 22-year-old Nigerian international progressed to the Arsenal first-team from the academy and his new contract is reportedly worth £70,000-a-week.
