Arsenal: The Aaron Ramsey problem came in the summer

Aaron Ramsey is likely to leave Arsenal after the club rescinded a contract offer. The problem, however, did not surface this week. It stemmed from the summer.

Arsenal cannot afford Aaron Ramsey. That is why the Welshman is reportedly set to leave the club over the course of the next year — it is not yet known whether the Gunners will look to sell in January or whether Ramsey will hold out to the summer when he has far greater negotiating power against potential suitors.

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According to David Ornstein of BBC Sport, the club and player had a four-year agreement on the table. But then the club decided to withdraw the offer before it was formally drawn up. That now leaves Ramsey with a contract that will expire at the end of the season and a decision about his future to make.

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The short-termism of their management of contracts has been an issue for Arsenal for many years. And a whole lot has been written about it. I will not re-hash the same frustrations and arguments here — they are plenty known and plenty detrimental to the progress of the club. But even once Ramsey had entered the final two years of his contract and time was pressing hard for clarity, there was still a chance to salvage the situation.

As Unai Emery came to London Colney after Arsene Wenger’s resignation this summer, he had to make evaluations regarding his new crop of players. Who does he want to build around? Which of them are overpaid luxuries who can be sold? Where does he need to strengthen? One of the key decisions that needed to have been made regarded Ramsey and his future. Would Arsenal be able to keep him long-term? Could a contract be thrashed out? Could he be afforded?

These were the questions that were being asked in the summer. They were also the questions that needed to be answered in the summer. Once the summer window passed, it was too late to go back on the decision. If Arsenal chose to keep Ramsey, which they did, they must have believed that they could keep him. And now, just two months later, they can’t.

The Aaron Ramsey problem stemmed from the decisions made in the summer — obviously, it actually stemmed from the mismanagement of his contract, but once that issue had been and gone, it was the summer period that was again poorly handled. Emery, Ivan Gazidis, Sven Mislintat and others needed to be decisive. They were not. And now they are paying the price, quite literally.

There have been reports that a £50 million offer was made for Ramsey. Whether true or not, what is certain is that Arsenal will not get such an offer again, if any offer whatsoever. They will do well to get £30 million for Ramsey in the January window. They cost themselves substantially because of the summer, not because they are now rescinding a contract offer that they couldn’t afford.

Indecision and hesitancy is something that has continually plagued the personnel management of this club. And it has once again here. First with Ramsey’s contract. And now with not choosing to sell him in the summer. The Ramsey problem will cost the club, and it’s all their own doing.