Arsenal: It is getting harder and harder to see Aaron Ramsey go

It was confirmed earlier this year that Aaron Ramsey would be joining Juventus on a free transfer, but with each passing week it is getting harder to see him leave Arsenal.

Aaron Ramsey has often polarised opinion since he joined Arsenal in 2008, but his commitment and ability to deliver headline moments have rarely been in question.

The extent to which Unai Emery was involved in Ramsey’s departure remains unclear, but it seems that as the season has worn on he has begun to understand how to get the best out of the mercurial midfielder. Emery struggled to find a place for Ramsey in the team earlier in the season, erring towards caution and perhaps eyeing a greater level of defensive balance.

While Matteo Guendouzi and Lucas Torreira have been significant additions, Ramsey provides Arsenal with a forward drive and desire that has proven vital in big games especially. His skill-set is rather unique in itself and when coupled with his energy and willingness to play with confidence under pressure, he becomes incredibly hard to defend against.

Whether Ramsey was ever truly suited to a team that wanted to dominate possession in the way Arsenal did under Wenger is debatable, but in Emery’s slightly faster and more direct style he seems at home. Some of the best performances Ramsey has put in were for Wales in a free role, moving to support Bale and helping create effectively on the break.

But at times he has also showed a disciplined, defensive side to his game, perhaps best showcased in Arsenal’s FA Cup run in 2017. Ramsey and Xhaka were so effective in that 5-3-2 formation and maybe it has just taken Emery too long to truly understand how valuable Ramsey can be.

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With Emery only in the job nine months and a new technical director yet to be appointed, it is hard to know where the decision-making power truly lies. Was this purely a financial decision or was Emery perhaps slightly hasty in allowing the Welshman to move on? It is hard to say.

When he leaves at the end of the season though it is purely academic, and all Emery can control is how he uses him between now and the end of the season – and perhaps how he replaces him. Ramsey’s presence can sometimes create imbalances, his positional indiscipline under Wenger often leaving the back four terribly exposed.

His exit will also free up wages that could be used to attract a player like Adrien Rabiot or fund a move for a long-term solution at centre back. Paying Ramsey an extortionate amount may also have been a sign that Arsenal weren’t looking to change, instead allowing another player to run down their contract before taking the club for all their worth. In the long run it may well turn out to be the right decision and if Arsenal use the saved money well they can certainly move on and compete without him.

Whether or not Arsenal prosper in his absence or not however, what is certain is that they are losing a player with a commitment and passion that will be missed. Aaron Ramsey delivered two FA Cup winning goals and in the 2013-14 season he produced performances that led even the most pessimistic of Arsenal fans to dream of the title.

His impact on the club will become clearer in time, but I am in no doubt that he will go down as one of the few legends of his generation.