Ramsey wants bumper contract

Arsenal are beginning to worry about Aaron Ramsey. The midfielder's contract ends in the summer of 2019, and the club are concerned that the Welshman is going to run it down without signing a deal. This is a situation that is not unfamiliar to Arsene Wenger, who had to sanction the departure of star player Alexis Sanchez in January to prevent the Chilean leaving for free in the summer, when his contract was due to end.

Wenger has also had to deal with similar situations with Jack Wilshere and Mesut Ozil, who both also entered 2018 with no new contract signed and free to leave in summer. While Wilshere is yet to sign, the club managed to tie Ozil down to a huge £300k-per-week deal in January, amid increasing scrutiny and pressure over their handling of player contracts. 

This new Ozil deal, combined with wage packets in the region of £170k-a-week for new boys Aubameyang and Mkhitaryan, has given Ramsey precedent to look for an improvement on his current £110k contract. The player, whose representative recently set up his own agency, delaying talks, is said to be looking for a deal that would see his wages reach a figure similar to that of the 'Gunners' two new signings, according to the 'Daily Mail'. 

Arsene Wenger is reportedly not keen on letting Ramsey go, as he is seen as a key member of the first team. Ramsey is the longest serving player in the first team squad, with 318 appearances for the North London side. His 53 goals for the club also put him above the rest of the squad in terms of scoring, with their second highest scorer being Mesut Ozil, on 37.

He has provided six goals and eight assists for his side this season, although due to a hamstring injury he has only made 18 appearances. The Welsh international is expected to start on Sunday, when Arsenal face Manchester City at Wembley in the Carabao Cup final.