Arsenal: There is no Aaron Ramsey “replacement”

Arsenal fans are chatting about who can replace Aaron Ramsey, but this is a pointless question. No one can. And we need to accept that.

There are a lot of Arsenal players that I think can be replaced or improved upon. There are some that simply cannot. Mesut Ozil, for instance, can’t be replaced. The skill set that he brings can’t be replicated by anyone else.

I would argue that the team could compensate with hard-working creators like Henrikh Mkhitaryan or Nabil Fekir, but no one can do what Ozil does.

Aaron Ramsey is in the same boat. You can paper over the cracks if he leaves, but you can never, never replace what he brings to this club. Never. And I say that because the things that he brings to the club can’t be taught.

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The only thing that has ever gotten in the way of Aaron Ramsey being the next Frank Lampard is injuries. Had Ramsey remained healthy, he’d be cracking in goals left and right and Arsenal either would have won some serious silverware or Ramsey would be at Barcelona or something.

But the point is, the instincts that he has and the work rate that literally never dies cannot be replicated by any one player.

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There are player “types” and plenty of players that fit into those types, with their own individual variations. But Ramsey doesn’t have a type. He’s a box-to-box midfielder, yes, but his variations go beyond what the usual variations to that role entail.

He’s an engine, a goal poacher, a long-shot threat, a game-changer, an off-the-ball runner and a defensive midfielder. He does all these things, he does them well, and he does them consistently. They don’t just come and go, they are always a part of his game.

But it’s his instincts, his off-the-ball intelligence, that really ensures that there won’t be a “next” Ramsey. There are certain matches when he’s not playing where you can feel the difference. You see the staleness as the team stands around and waits for someone to run.

Without Ramsey to pierce that staleness, it takes moments of divine inspiration to break through.

We have to lock down Ramsey. Even if he only plays 1500-2000 minutes a season due to injury and necessary rest, that is 10-20 goals he will be directly involved in. We’ve seen it again this year.

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Whatever he wants to be paid, I’m sure it’s reasonable. Just pay the man. Because you won’t find another.