Arsenal: Only one way that an Aaron Ramsey return works

Juventus are reportedly considering offloading Aaron Ramsey after only signing him last summer. While a return to Arsenal is possible, there is only one way that it helps the team.

When Arsenal lost Aaron Ramsey on a free transfer last summer, there was immediate concern regarding the central midfield position. The Welshman was not the perfect midfielder, of course, but he provided a unique skill set that few others in the squad can replicate.

Ramsey has a knack for scoring goals. As a central midfielder, that is a crucial and invaluable quality, and it is something that the Gunners have been unable to replace upon his departure. In the Premier League, Arsenal have just two players who have scored more than four goals. Only six players have more than one goal, two of which are defenders. Central midfielders have provided just two goals, one apiece from Mesut Ozil and Lucas Torreira.

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This, of course, has left many pining for a Ramsey return. Given that Arsenal only lost him due to financial difficulties, that there is now a new regime at the club, and that Ramsey still loves the club dearly, it is not entirely inconceivable that he could one day return.

And this week, fuel was added to the fire. The Daily Mail reported that Juventus are considering offloading Ramsey this summer, despite only signing him last summer. The squad is older, Ramsey is highly paid, and he has not been a regular starter for much of the season thanks to injury problems. Financially, selling Ramsey might be the best move.

The report also claims that two Premier League clubs have been sounded out as potential landing spots. Inevitably, Arsenal are incessantly named as one of the mysterious pair. But would Ramsey’s return actually be a smart move for the club?

The aforementioned goals issue is pertinent and certainly suggests that Ramsey is needed. And if Ramsey was 24 and available for a palatable fee, there would be little argument against re-signing him. But he isn’t and he won’t be. Ramsey is 29, the report states that he earns £400,000 per week, and Juventus have him tied down for another three years meaning they are not in a position to sell on the cheap.

This changes everything, especially when considering the current state of the team. Mikel Arteta is building towards a long-term project. The team is not one or two players away from competing. It is aiming to be competitive in two, three, four years time. Ramsey, as you may have realised, will be long past his peak by then. Signing him permanently with expensive wages would be hugely foolish.

However, signing him on loan might just work. If Arsenal are a goalscoring central midfielder away from securing Champions League qualification, adding Ramsey on a one-year rental could be a hugely impactful acquisition, one that pushes the team over the edge as they look to gain that initial boost at the start of the Arteta era.

On a loan deal, a Ramsey return makes sense. But in any other way, he is too old and too expensive to be worthwhile, no matter how much the midfield may miss him.