Arsenal key player Aaron Ramsey is now set to join Juventus in the summer after signing a deal that will earn him over £400,000 (Sh51m) a week.
The 28-year-old midfielder has agreed a four-year contract that will see him join the Italian champions as a free agent, ending his 11-year spell with Arsenal.
OFFICIAL | @aaronramsey to join Juventus from next season ➡ https://t.co/6PFO3O5bpv#SeeYouAaron pic.twitter.com/BHjNaE8y9i
— JuventusFC (@juventusfcen) February 11, 2019
He will be the highest-earning British player ever based on basic salary.
The Wales international’s Arsenal contract expires on 30 June and the Gunners will receive no fee when he leaves.
Ramsey, who joined Arsenal from Cardiff City in 2008 at a fee of around £4.8m(Sh517m) , held preliminary talks with Barcelona and also received an offer from Paris St-Germain.
Bayern Munich, Inter Milan and Real Madrid also showed interest, with Real forward Gareth Bale understood to have encouraged his Wales team-mate to link up with him in Spain.
Arsenal did present Ramsey with the offer of a new deal in September but it was turned down and the club were not prepared to meet his salary demands.
Head coach Unai Emery had reservations about Ramsey’s role in his squad.
Ramsey’s desire to play as a number eight, running on to the ball from an advanced central midfield position, clashed with Emery’s vision.
Emery does not usually deploy a number eight, meaning the Welshman has mainly been used in a strict deeper role without license to roam or in the number 10 position with his back to goal.
Ramsey has played 359 times for Arsenal, scoring 61 times.
OFFICIAL: Juventus have confirmed that Aaron Ramsey will join the club on a four-year deal from Arsenal at the end of the 2018/19 season.
The club will incur additional registration costs of €3.7m to be paid by July 10th 2019. pic.twitter.com/qfWMkEDRlh
— Squawka News (@SquawkaNews) February 11, 2019
In his 11 seasons at the club, he has struck double figures in a season three times, with a best mark of 16 in all competitions in 2013-14.
https://twitter.com/Cechque/status/1095035610266460160
Thank you for everything Rambo we will all miss you so much ???? pic.twitter.com/KlqijpTkK0
— Gooner for life (@AnthonyClachan) February 11, 2019