Arsenal: Arsene Wenger’s right, and he’s part of the problem

Arsene Wenger has stated that Aaron Ramsey holds the power when negotiating a new Arsenal contract. He’s right, but he’s also part of the problem.

Arsene Wenger always preferred shorter contracts. He claimed that the added motivation that it provides is a benefit for the team and is worth sacrificing the long-term security that regularly renewing contracts can provide. This philosophical choice often put Arsenal into a tight spot, as is famously known. And the latest instance is last year’s Player of the Season, Aaron Ramsey.

Catch the latest episode of the Pain in the Arsenal podcast right here

Ramsey is already in the final year of his contract. The club has been in talks with the Welshman for some time regarding a new deal, but they then rescinded their apparently agreed offer amid concerns of being able to afford the increased wage demands and fit his style into the starting XI.

More from Pain in the Arsenal

• 3 standout players from 1-0 victory over Everton
• 3 positives & negatives from Goodison Park victory
• Arsenal vs PSV preview: Prediction, team news & lineups
• 3 talking points from Arsenal’s victory at Goodison Park
• Mikel Arteta provides Gabriel Martinelli injury update after Everton win

And Wenger, who has now departed and has no influence over the talks, has had his say on what may or may not happen in the coming months before the expiration of Ramsey’s contract next summer:

"“We tried that before and it still can happen. I don’t really know what’s happening at Arsenal. Sure, Aaron Ramsey is in a strong position now and he will use this position. But I don’t know how far Arsenal will go in terms of giving him a huge contract. These things were once my responsibility, but not anymore. I’m happy about that.”"

The comments are interesting, not because they are especially pointed or incisive but simply because they are so different from Wenger’s prior perspective when he was at the club.

Wenger is correct when he asserts that Ramsey is in ‘a strong position’. Ramsey holds all of the power. He can leave for nothing at the end of the year, Arsenal have no power to stop that whatsoever, and there is no reason for Ramsey to accept a lesser deal in January than the one that he could get in the summer when he will be at the heart of a bidding war.

But that was not his opinion when he was at the club, or at least if it was his opinion, it wasn’t a strong enough opinion to deter him from allowing players’ contracts to repeatedly run down into the final two years. Perhaps Wenger was so confident that Ramsey would sign a new deal that he knew that he could allow his contract to run down. But that does not explain the mire of other examples over the past decade.

It seems odd that only know Wenger is recognising the strength of position that Ramsey — or any player in the final year or two of his contract — holds. He was a part of the problem, a key factor as to why and how this situation has developed, and he could have very easily prevented it from developing. I’m sure he would have had he held the same perspective when he was in charge.

I almost admire Wenger’s cheekiness in saying that it’s no longer his problem. But he should accept a greater responsibility for being a part of the problem. Because he was. And Arsenal could be worse off for it.