Arsenal: What does Unai Emery do with Aaron Ramsey now?

Aaron Ramsey will leave Arsenal at the end of the season. So how should Unai Emery handle a player that he needs but is not a long-term option between now and the end of the season?

I have often said that Arsenal’s 2018/19 season is about the long-term. Unai Emery arrived as Arsene Wenger’s successor and attempted to rework almost all of the mechanisms of the club.

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Ivan Gazidis started to insert management figures behind the head coach to aid the succession process last season. This season is about then rebuilding the foundations, with Emery at the helm.

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With that being the case, every decision that Emery and the club make this year should revolve around what is best for the long-term future of Arsenal. It is why I do not have an issue with Emery dropping Mesut Ozil, the highest-paid player at the club. It is why I am happy to see the likes of Reiss Nelson and Emile Smith Rowe sent out on loan as they search for regular first-team minutes to aid their development. Every single decision that is made should be made for the betterment of the club, but not the club in 2019.

This brings me to Aaron Ramsey. As officially announced this week, the Welshman has signed a four-year deal with Juventus, reportedly worth £400,000-a-week. He will leave north London at the end of the season without a penny in return. Whether Emery wanted him to be or not does not matter. Ramsey will not be a piece of his tenure at the Emirates. As such, how should Emery manage Ramsey and the team between now and the end of the season?

If you were to pick a team for tomorrow, Ramsey would be one of the first names on the teamsheet. He is still one of the best players at the club and would be integral to any midfield. But as stated previously, Emery should be making decisions with the club’s future in mind, and Ramsey is not a part of it.

Does that mean, therefore, that Matteo Guendouzi should start more frequently in central midfield? Perhaps Henrikh Mkhitaryan or Alex Iwobi, two players who could still play key roles under Emery, are tried in different positions. Denis Suarez is tested out as a starter to see if he could one day replace Ramsey.

And yet, Ramsey likely offers Arsenal the best chance to win the Europa League and finish in the top four. Many of their best performances this season have come with Ramsey at the very heart of them.

It is a dilemma, then. Does Emery prioritise the short-term in the hope that it later benefits the future? Or does he sacrifice the now for what is to come? How he handles Ramsey could be crucial for not just the remainder of the season but for his tenure altogether. Will he get it right?