Arsenal: Aaron Ramsey must not repeat Alexis Sanchez saga

Aaron Ramsey faces a decision: to stay at Arsenal and extend his contract or to leave and take his services elsewhere. What he must not do, however, for his sake and the club’s, is repeat the Alexis Sanchez saga of last January.

Aaron Ramsey is in the last year of his contract as the rumours of a possible exit grow stronger and stronger by the day. There is seemingly no further growth in his contractual talks with the club. The situation is becoming an increasingly complex one, reminiscent of last January.

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Alexis Sanchez left Arsenal last January to join forces with Manchester United, although his situation at Old Trafford looks far from satisfying these days.

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He has failed to replicate his form which he was enjoying at Arsenal. He lacks the same sharpness and has been unable to put fear in the minds of defenders. In short, Sanchez is finding it difficult to cope after leaving. This serves as a prime example for Ramsey on the effects of life outside north London.

Unai Emery seems to be a big fan of Ramsey and wants the midfielder to stay at the Emirates. Ramsey perfectly suits the style of play Emery wants the Gunners to adapt to. His high work rate up and down the pitch makes him an energetic, all-action player who gets stuck into the heart of the match throughout the 90 minutes. He also has that knack of producing spectacular goals out of the blue, has good vision and influences every aspect of the team. His association with Arsenal for a long period also makes him a player one wants to have in the team.

However, Emery and Ramsey both need to sort out this contract situation as early as possible. Ramsey is a unique player who can completely change games when he’s on-song. He can be the club’s go-to man because he has the ability to fit in a number of positions when needed and he will serve as an important option as the club looks to reinstate themselves in the Champions League.

Things need to get sorted as soon as possible because another similar situation to Sanchez would be hurtful for both the club as well as the player. Ramsey knows that the fans love him and want him to stay.

But he needs to get his head down and think seriously about the same. He has a big reputation and needs to build upon it. He belongs at the club and is one of the few players who knows the values of the club through and through. Losing these kinds of players is always a drawback for any club.

The situation is hanging in the balance. Arsenal need to challenge their history of losing their best players; Ramsey needs to make a decision regarding the remaining years of his prime. This is critical for both club and player. Whatever happens, though, one thing is certain: Ramsey, as well as the club, must not repeat the Alexis Sanchez saga.