Arsenal: Grading 11 potential Aaron Ramsey replacement

1. Donny van de Beek / Grade 8.5 / Price £20-50m

No one gets my jellies more pumped up to see Arsenal replace Aaron Ramsey the the Donny van de Beek. It’s crazy that so many of Ajax’s young stars are my top candidate for everything Arsenal need to fix – Hakim Ziyech for winger, Matthijs de Ligt for defense, Donny van de Beek for Aaron Ramsey – but no point in being snooty, go where the talent is.

No one on this list, save Nabil Fekir, understands the magic of being a midfield goal threat like van de Beek, who scored 16 goals and added 12 assists in all competitions this past season, including three goals and two assists in Ajax’s fantastic Champions League run.

He’s secure on the ball and understands the creative component of the game, plus he may be the firs true No. 10 on this list. He’s a tireless worker, and while his defensive numbers in the Netherlands were shabby, he showed the potential for so much more with superior numbers in the Champions League, which is a far better barometer for what we’re looking for.

This isn’t even his big breakout year. That was last year, when he managed 11 goals and six assists in the Eridivisie alone.

Simply put, van de Beek is the spark that Ramsey was. He may have something to prove in his defensive work, but there is no one more equipped to take on such an important role at the club than this young man. Of course, there’s no guarantee that he leaves, which is the biggest problem.