Arsenal have withdrawn from negotiations regarding a contract with Welsh midfielder Aaron Ramsey, and he is set to leave the club in January or the summer as he has already entered in the last year of his contract. Unai Emery has a task on his hands to replace the Welshman, and if reports are to be believed, then he has identified Argentine midfielder Ever Banega as a replacement for Ramsey. Banega was an influential player under Emery for Sevilla, and he played a crucial part in two Europa League triumphs.
One doesn’t usually see the Gunners going after a 30-year-old, but it seems like the new manager is set to shake up the transfer policy. It’s clear that Emery wants to get a tried and tested player in midfield and he would be aware of the Argentine’s weaknesses and strengths properly after working with him for Sevilla.
Banega is not going to be a long-term replacement, but his experience is undoubtedly going to come in handy. The 30-year-old is contracted to stay at Seville until 2020. He has continued to be an essential player for the Spanish club and has made 15 appearances in all competitions so far this season. The midfielder has already contributed with five goals and two assists and is still going strong years after Emery’s departure from the club.
The South American can do various jobs in midfield as he can turn out as a box to box midfielder, defensive midfielder and even as an attacking midfielder. Therefore he looks like a perfect replacement for someone like Ramsey.
It would be interesting to see whether Banega could take on the challenges of the Premier League which is known to be of more physical and high tempo nature. However, from what we have seen from him over the years, the midfielder should be able to handle himself well as he is strong and tenacious and has excellent technical abilities on the ball.
In the short run, the transfer looks alright on paper as Banega is still looking good and continues to be a top player for his club and country. However, it’s not clear how many years Arsenal would be able to get out of him at the top level, and after those years, it is unlikely that the midfielder would have much of resale value.
The North London club should try to land him in January as we believe Ramsey should be sold in January instead of losing him for free next summer. Quite a few clubs are reportedly interested in him including Liverpool who look quite serious about landing the Welsh midfielder.
