Arsenal: Aaron Ramsey comments indeed implicate the obvious

Aaron Ramsey has stated that he is desperate to get back to Arsenal and is excited about the Unai Emery era. Yes, those comments implicate the obvious: he wants a new contract.

Arsenal fans have suffered an extensive look into the damage that a soon-to-be-expiring contract can cause. Robin van Persie, Bacary Sagna, Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil. Not all departed, but all were put into difficult situations, as was the club, because of the uncertainty of their futures.

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And, predictably, this summer, the Gunners are in exactly the same situation once again, this time with Aaron Ramsey.

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The Welshman has just one year remaining on his current contract. To compound matters, there has been little talk of ongoing negotiations between club and player, and he is coming off one of his best campaigns at the Emirates, named as the Player of the Season by the fans, scoring and assisting a combined 20 goals in all competitions in only 2388 minutes of football.

And so, while injuries have scuppered his development throughout his career, and they again limited his influence on this season as he missed several months with a hamstring strain during the winter period, interest in his services is high. Given that Arsenal don’t have Champions League football to offer and look a long way from a title challenge, he would be forgiven for wanting to look to ply his trade elsewhere.

The selling point to stay in north London, then, is the project, the project led by new manager Unai Emery. And thankfully, it seems as though Ramsey is eager to dive in head first to what Emery has in store:

"“Of course. I haven’t spoken to him at all yet, but I think it’s an exciting time for the club. I can’t wait to get back there now.”"

The context may suggest that Ramsey is looking to leave; his comments implicate something very different. While he admits that he is yet to speak with Emery — Emery did reveal in his excellent introductory press conference that he intends to speak individually with as many players in the squad as possible, outlining his plan for the season and seasons ahead –, Ramsey show his excitement at the future of the club.

Sometimes players say things publicly and the obvious ramification never comes to pass. How many times have we heard a player commit himself to a club only to leave in the very same window that he expressed his undying love? But in this case, I do believe that the obvious implication is the right one: Ramsey wants to stay.

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That is terrific news for Arsenal. He is one of the cornerstone pieces of the team, he is a high-character individual who Emery reportedly wants to build around, and he would be extremely difficult and pricey to replace. Now, it’s simply about crunching the numbers on a new contract. But, I believe, the motivation is there, and that is the most important bridge to cross.