The Aaron Ramsey saga has finally come to a close with Arsenal recently announcing that they won’t be renewing the player’s contract.
Indeed, after 347 appearances for the Gunners, Ramsey’s time at the club is finally over.
Reports have been flying all over the show with a number of Premier League sides, including Everton, Liverpool, and Manchester United, all linked with the player at one point or another.
However, it seems that the Welshman’s talents are going to be taken abroad with the Independent reporting that FC Bayern Munich are set to sign the player on a loan-term contract next summer.
Ramsey’s exit leaves a rather large void in Arsenal’s midfield. One we’re sure boss Unai Emery has already set his sights on filling.
It’s entirely possible that the Spaniard may look towards to the club’s youth system to replace the outgoing Arsenal product with another prospect from their academy.
Here are two of those potential replacements…
Ainsley Maitland-Niles
Maitland-Niles is Mr. Versatile.
The Englishman has turned out for his club in a multitude of position including his natural spot in centre-midfield, right-wing back, and left-wing back for the injured Nacho Monreal.
Like Ramsey, he plays a more attacking role in the midfield, using his high energy to scoot from box-to-box when necessary, and we’ve also noticed that his time on the wing has helped improve his delivery.
His defensive work is excellent also, which is presumably why he was so effective in his wing-back roles.
Emile Smith Rowe
The young talent Emile Smith Rowe has made quite a name for himself already this year. He was one of the standout performers in Arsenal’s pre-season tour, playing particularly well against Spanish giants Athletico Madrid, scoring a goal and assisting one more, and Paris Saint Germain, where his composure and maturity really shone through.
He’s already got five goals in ten appearances for Arsenal, including one in the Europa League and EFL Cup.
Smith Rowe carries a similar sort of attacking threat to Ramsey, floating around the left side of midfield and cutting back in, like most inverted midfielders do nowadays, to shoot with his right foot.
