With his current contract set to expire at the end of the season and with no new deal in sight, Arsenal ace Aaron Ramsey looks set to begin a new challenge next year.
As noted by The Guardian, the 27-year-old has come out publicly to concede that he thought he was set to commit his future to the club, only for that offer to be withdrawn.
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With that in mind, it would appear as though an exit is the most likely scenario next year, albeit it remains to be seen if Arsenal opt to cash in during the January transfer window in order to avoid losing the Welshman for nothing in the summer.
Arsenal Director of Football Raul Sanllehi has now revealed the reasoning behind the decision, albeit it didn’t specifically refer to the Ramsey situation.
From his comments below though, it would suggest that the Arsenal hierarchy didn’t feel as though the contract offer on the table for Ramsey was in the best interests of the club.
“I am not here to talk about individual cases but to talk more of the philosophy we are bringing,” he is quoted as telling BBC Sport by the Metro, who add that both Man Utd and Chelsea are primed to swoop. “Any decision that we take is thoroughly discussed, debated among several professional people sharing one common objective, which is what is best for the club.
“Any decision we take along this way, is always going to be based on whether this is good or bad for Arsenal. If it’s a responsible decision or if it can be detrimental for Arsenal, that is basically our main criteria in every step of the decision making.”
While it’s bad enough for some Arsenal fans that they’ll likely be losing Ramsey, with the Metro adding that United and Chelsea could make a move, it will be a bitter blow to see him join a direct rival and potentially flourish.
The former Cardiff City man has been a key figure for the north London giants during his stint at the club, and if he does leave, it will be interesting to see how Unai Emery replaces him.