Former Cardiff City defender Danny Gabbidon has told fans not to rule out the prospect of Aaron Ramsey returning to the Bluebirds this summer, with the Wales captain's future at Nice up in the air.
Earlier this week, Ramsey revealed that his next move was to be decided in the coming weeks. The midfielder played enough games at Nice to trigger a contract extension, but it's not yet known whether the option has been taken up.
Ramsey said his next move would centre around bringing his family together again, with his wife and three children still based in south Wales while he plays out in the Cote d'Azur. You can read what he said in full here.
It has led to speculation regarding Ramsey, 32, returning to the Welsh capital, the place where it all started for him. It has been 15 years since he left Cardiff for Arsenal. Ramsey played it with a straight bat on Monday, refusing to rule out a move back to the Bluebirds.
When asked on the BBC's Elis James Feast of Football show about Ramsey's potential return, Gabbidon, who of course played alongside Ramsey for Wales, said: "Interesting. Interesting, boys. I think this is one to watch. I wouldn't rule it out. I wouldn't.
"Certainly, listening to Aaron speak the other day, he didn't really kind of dismiss it. He spoke about missing his family and enjoying his time in Nice. But the biggest thing was about not having his family there and then he said about seeing what happens in the next few weeks, so something is going to happen.
"Whether Cardiff can make that happen, I don't know. And the other question is, if he does sign, how effective is Aaron Ramsey going to be for Cardiff City? The Championship is a very different league, a different animal. If you hear how he was being managed in Nice, he was able to play quite a lot of games this season because he was given more rest and time off, extra days off, which benefited him.
"In the Championship, when it's two games a week for most of the season, it's a totally different kettle of fish. He is also going into a team which is still trying to find itself, really. As an individual, he can come into that team and I'm sure he can make a difference because of the quality that he has. But it's not going to be as easy as a lot of Cardiff City fans might think.
"But in terms of his profile and what it would do for the fans as well, I'm sure season tickets have picked up since the new manager has been appointed, but if you can get an Aaron Ramsey back into the club, what that would do for the fans, the feelgood factor, the optimism would be fantastic. I wouldn't rule it out. I could see it possibly happening."
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Ramsey was at pains to give much away during his press conference this week, but Gabbidon raised the point that the playmaker didn't really give much air time to the prospect of staying in Nice next season.
"He has got another year option [at Nice]," he said. "But it didn't sound like when he was talking... he didn't mention about staying there.
"He didn't really give anything away, really. But I just would have thought if he was staying at Nice, he would have said 'oh, I've had a good season and I've got the option to stay and I'm looking to do that'.
"I don't know if Cardiff could afford the wages he would want! He is not going to want silly money, he has made his money. But you look at Cardiff the last few seasons and they've not really thrown much money around, have they?"
Cardiff have, of course, brought in a new manager in Erol Bulut. However, chairman Mehmet Dalman has suggested a transfer was in the works before the Turk was appointed. There are suggestions that transfer might have been Ramsey, who would be able to join as a free agent if his contract at Nice has not been extended, but Gabbidon suggested that might leave Bulut in an awkward position.
"What is the thought process about bringing Aaron Ramsey in? If you've got a manager coming in who is defensive-minded, is Aaron suited to coming into that team, if you're being a counter-attacking team?" he said.
"I suppose he could play as the No. 10 or winger or something.
"The new manager is obviously now in place, he might not want him! Has he got any choice in this or is this above his head already? Where there is an option of getting Aaron back and the manager hasn't got a say?"
Fellow pundit and ex-Wales striker Iwan Roberts chipped in by stating that Bulut is a defensive-minded manager who prefers to play on the counter.
Spit-balling about how Ramsey could potentially be used, Roberts said: "Could he be the link-up man? That's the only place I could see him playing. They get men behind the ball, defend deep, leave Aaron in that No. 10 or around the centre circle for that quick transition of play. Let him work his magic, stick balls through to the wingers and centre forwards."
Ramsey is set to captain Wales against Armenia on Friday night before taking on Turkey on Monday. His future is then set to be decided in the following days.
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