Arsenal are resigned to losing their Welsh midfielder Aaron Ramsey this summer as contract negotiations have now broken down completely. A deal that was offered by the club has now been taken off the table and Arsenal now must sell the 27-year-old in January, or lose him on a free this summer.
But perhaps Arsenal can learn from the last time one of their stars was running his contract down. As Alexis Sanchez was looking to force through a move to Manchester, the Gunners negotiated a swap deal for Henrikh Mkhitaryan in a deal that seemed to suit every party. Both clubs then got a player on a long-term contract and didn’t miss out by losing a key man on a free.
Now, with Alexis Sanchez’s awful form, it seems that Arsenal got the better of this particular deal and they could work their swap deal magic yet again.
Unai Emery’s last club PSG could be the target of Arsenal’s focus. Their French midfielder Adrien Rabiot is also out of contract this summer and several of Europe’s top clubs are monitoring his situation. A player who is key to PSG’s success is valued around the £40m mark but could leave on a free this summer unless and swap deal can be reached.
Arsenal are in a strong position in this scenario as PSG have reportedly been interested in Ramsey in recent months. The Welshmen has a whole host of potential suitors including Manchester United, Liverpool and Juventus, but a move to France could be the perfect move for him. Rabiot meanwhile, has turned down two contract offers already from PSG as he looks to assess his options heading into the transfer window.
Man City could blow Arsenal out of the water with a massive wage offer in January, which would see the Ligue 1 champions lose Rabiot on a free in the summer. However, the club do not want to simply lose a player worth £40m and for that reason, a swap deal would make the most sense for both clubs.
Ramsey and Rabiot are similar players so if Arsenal can force this deal through they could find themselves in a strong position. Rabiot has sung the praises of the now Arsenal gaffer on several occasions and could be keen to work under the former boss yet again.
Just after Emery himself moved to Paris, the midfielder said: “He asks if you are not too tired after training. This is really important for the staff to know as they can then adapt [the training sessions]. They need to know if we can withstand the workload being asked of us. Communication is essential, not only in football but in all sports. This is what I find really good about Emery.”
Arsenal fans I’m sure would love this one to go through. This is a realistic deal that could benefit both clubs and both players.