Should Arsenal Stick or Twist with Midfielder Aaron Ramsey?

This summer, Arsenal’s midfield will undergo a minor revolution.

Three senior figures already appear certain to depart: The trio of Mikel Arteta, Mathieu Flamini and Tomas Rosicky are all out of contract, and it seems highly unlikely that any of them will be offered an extension.

That will force Arsene Wenger to re-evaluate his midfield options—and that could give him a decision to make over the future of Aaron Ramsey.

Ramsey is one of the biggest names in the squad, so it’s a bit of a surprise that his place at the club is even a subject for debate. However, Sami Mokbel of the Daily Mail suggested that his future at Arsenal is “far from certain”:

Sportsmail understands Ramsey’s long-term future at the Emirates Stadium is far from certain.

His place in the starting XI next season is under threat with Arsenal looking to bolster their central midfield ranks this summer.

Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Granit Xhaka is the club’s No. 1 target in the position, while they also have a long-running interest in Real Madrid’s Toni Kroos.

Indeed, Ramsey could find himself marginalised next season.

If Arsenal were to let Ramsey go, there would surely be no shortage of takers. He is an enormously talented player with many strengths.

He has recovered from a severe injury to become a powerful and energetic midfielder, capable of tearing around the pitch for 90 minutes without breaking sweat. His tremendous engine is complicated by technical excellence—there are exquisite moments of skill in his game that occasionally make it surprising he was reared in the British academy system.

Furthermore, he has a nose for an important goal—just look at his match-winning contribution to the 2014 FA Cup Final, for example.

Ramsey is a very gifted individual. However, the question Arsenal must now answer is whether or not he is the right man for their team. 

This season, Leicester City have shown the value of fielding a balanced and tactically diligent side rather than a collection of gifted but ultimately disorganised individuals. If Wenger’s task was merely to pick the best 11 players at Arsenal, Ramsey would be on the team-sheet every week. However, the trouble the Gunners boss has is in …

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