Former Arsenal star Aaron Ramsey has opened up on his departure from the Gunners, admitting he still does not know how he was allowed to leave on a free transfer.
Ramsey spent 11 years at the Emirates Stadium before he joined Serie A giants Juventus in 2019. His exit from the Gunners came as somewhat of a shock, given his standing as one of the most respected players in their squad.
But rather than extend his spell with the Premier League giants, he instead opted to join Juve. In a fresh revelation, Ramsey has confirmed he was offered a contract by Arsenal, but the contract was withdrawn before he could put pen to paper, with Juve going on to table wages of £400,000 per week to bring him to Turin.
“The last few seasons have been up and down. It all happened. I agreed to a contract they [Arsenal] proposed. Things went quiet for a few weeks. I was telling my agent, ‘Let’s do it,’ then all of a sudden the contract was no longer there,” he told The Times.
"So there was nothing to sign or agree. It was a difficult start for a few months with Unai [Emery, then-Arsenal boss]. As the season was going on, I was playing more and playing really well. Then January came and I had to make a decision whether I carried on and saw what happened or whether I agreed somewhere.
“I decided to do that [move] because there was nothing on the table [from Arsenal]. There was a lot of change with the manager coming. I don’t understand, I still don’t know what exactly happened.
HAVE YOUR SAY! Did Aaron Ramsey make the right choice by turning down a move to the Premier League to join Nice? Comment below.
“I have no bad words or bad feelings to Arsenal. They are still a massive part of my life and I still look out for them and I am really glad to see them doing so well. I always have love for Arsenal and that will never change.”
Unfortunately for Ramsey, he struggled to make an impact in Italy, frequently finding himself injured and out of favour. He terminated his contract over the summer, moving to Ligue 1 side Nice, despite receiving interest from Premier League sides.
“It was really exciting to go to Turin, to Italy, and to have a new challenge, to be out of my comfort zone, having been at one club so long. Players need to be managed individually, not collectively," he added.
“From a physical point of view, it was tricky at times and I wasn’t able to get that consistency I needed. There were many factors. The Ineos [Nice's owners] vision and the way they can see this club progressing in the next few years. I want to be part of that. They want to take this club to the next level.
“Not everyone speaks English and I don’t speak French yet. But if you set your standards, what you do in the gym, the way you train, then hopefully that can show and encourage younger players.
“Any player wants foundations. Hopefully I can do that here and start to play some of my best football. Things don’t always work out how you plan in football but now I have another opportunity.”
