Arsenal are set to lose Aaron Ramsey on a free transfer when his contract expires next summer.

The Gunners were locked in negotiations with their longest-serving player over a new contract during the summer, and an agreement was expected to be reached after Mesut Ozil extended his stay at the club. However, Arsenal were unwilling to increase Ramsey’s pay and have since withdrawn their contract offer.

Speculation mounted that Juventus could look to sign the 27-year-old on the cheap in the January transfer window, but Ramsey has insisted he will stay at the club until his contract expires. The Wales international can sign a pre-contract agreement with foreign clubs during the January window and Arsenal may be tempted to cash in rather than lose him for nothing.

To replace him, Unai Emery should attempt to lure Chelsea midfielder, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, to the Emirates Stadium. Valued at £16.2m by Transfermarkt, the England international impressed on loan at Crystal Palace last season and was rewarded with a place in Gareth Southgate’s squad for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Loftus-Cheek was expected to battle for a starting berth in Maurizio Sarri’s midfield, but the arrivals of Mateo Kovacic and Jorginho pushed him further down the pecking order.

As a result, Loftus-Cheek has been restricted to just 33 minutes of Premier League football this season and could opt to leave the club in search of regular game time in January. A powerful, technical midfielder, the 22-year-old would slot seamlessly into Emery’s system in North London. Loftus-Cheek loves to transition defence to attack, averaging three successful dribbles per game for Palace last season, making him the perfect partner for Lucas Torreira in midfield (WhoScored).

Moving to Arsenal could be fantastic for his development, and the Gunners could make Chelsea rue their decision to overlook him for the first-team.

Arsenal fans, thoughts?