Arsenal: I’m not sure Robert Pires understands Aaron Ramsey situation

Robert Pires has stated that Arsenal and Aaron Ramsey must come to a beneficial agreement. I’m not sure he understands the situation. It’s a simple financial equation, one that doesn’t add up in the Gunners’ favour.

Arsenal have essentially said goodbye to Aaron Ramsey. The midfielder, who is in the final year of his contract and was partaking in discussions regarding a new deal earlier this year, saw the club at which he has played for more than a decade rescind their offer and all but confirm his departure, either in January or next summer on a free transfer.

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It is obviously a sad situation. Ramsey is a very talented and influential player. The club, I am sure, were not eagerly trying to ship him out — he was named Player of the Season last year for a reason. Nevertheless, they were forced into this situation because of prior decisions made by the management and Ramsey himself.

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No one seems to have relayed that to Robert Pires, however. Speaking to Standard Sport this week, Pires stated that he still hoped that Ramsey and the Gunners could ‘find a good solution’ with him maybe extending his deal at the end of the season:

"“I don’t know what’s happening at the end of the season. Maybe he will extend, maybe not. He’s a great player, he’s been at Arsenal for a long time. He scores a lot of goals and is important to the squad. Aaron needs to talk with the board and find a good solution for him and for Arsenal.”"

It seems like an ambitious statement.

That’s because it is. And not just because he still thinks that the decision to rescind the contract offer could be reversed. But also because of the fact that it doesn’t quite align correctly the facts of the situation. Pires’ comments suggest that Unai Emery and the Gunners don’t want to keep Ramsey because of his level of performance. But that isn’t true.

The club isn’t keeping Ramsey not because of his performances or his influence, but because of the financial restrictions that are placed on the wage budget. Ultimately, Ramsey is leaving due to a very simple equation: the club cannot afford his wage demands after choosing to invest in other individuals, most notably Mesut Ozil, who would inherit Ramsey’s central attacking midfield role.

Ozil was handed a £350,000 deal last January, at the same time that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Henrikh Mkhitaryan were handed contracts in the region of £200,000-a-week. They were the players that Arsenal decided to financially commit to, not Ramsey. It’s not a case of not wanting Ramsey, simply not being able to afford him.

Pires seems to misunderstand the situation a little. It’s not that Ramsey doesn’t want to stay. It’s not that the Gunners don’t want to keep him. It’s just that the numbers don’t match. Unfortunately, money talks, and in this case, it’s saying ‘no’.