Arsenal: So Aaron Ramsey is leaving… what next?

Arsenal and Aaron Ramsey appear to be parting way, barring some last minute wizardry, so what’s the next step to help cope with the loss?

I had just gone about talking through the Aaron Ramsey and Arsenal situation, admitting that we know very little for sure, and then Ramsey’s agent had to go and essentially confirm that a deal was done elsewhere, and that Ramsey “had no choice” but to leave the club.

He made it sound like it wasn’t his decision at all, and that he was forced out. Speculation could run wild from there, but it most likely involved not being paid enough. Which is perfectly reasonable, the man has done so much for the club that he deserves a raise.

Naturally, I’m none too happy about this whole situation, as I thought Ramsey should be the captain for the long haul, but here we are, seemingly done with the Welshman. So where do we turn next? What can we do in the here and now to help alleviate the situation?

The first step is Emile Smith Rowe. The 18-year-old has been included in a lot of midweek fixtures and has looked just as promising as we might have expected from someone with as much talent as he.

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In a dream world, Smith Rowe could take the Ramsey mantle, run with it, and never look back. He could do what Wilshere and Ramsey were never able to do in their early years and just clamp onto the role and hold onto it for over a decade, become a club legend, and win countless honors with the club.

Crazy talk, I know. But the first step is feeling out Smith Rowe and what he may or may not be capable of handling.

I’m not sure how much more you can include Ramsey if he truly is gone. If there’s no future for him at the club, then why persist on playing him? Wouldn’t it be better to start moving forward with the club? It may be a cruel step to take, but it’s a bit necessary when deals are being brokered in October for transfers that can’t happen for another three months.

Lastly, we need money for a replacement. I love the idea of Piotr Zielinski, but something tells me he won’t be cheap. Funds have to be made available and there has to be more than one solid option to make this all work.

I have this horrible, persisting dream that this is just some ridiculous prank, and that the deal being brokered is actually a contract extension, but not even my American optimism can spin that tale.