Why Newcastle United should make a move for Aaron Ramsey
According to Tuttojuve (h/t The Sun), Newcastle United are interested in signing Juventus star Aaron Ramsey ahead of the new campaign.
The report suggests that Juventus had offered Ramsey to Wolves in return for Raul Jimenez and have seen the offer rejected. But the Magpies are willing to pay the Wales midfielder four times more than their highest earner Jonjo Shelvey.
New Juventus boss Andrea Pirlo is also willing to offload some of his players including the 29-year-old Ramsey.
Profile
Born in Wales, Ramsey flourished through the ranks of Cardiff City’s youth system and joined Arsenal in the summer of 2008. However, he initially struggled for regular game time and was sent on loan to Nottingham Forest and Cardiff. Since his return to the Emirates in 2011, he established himself as a key member of the squad.
He made 371 appearances for the Gunners and helped them lift three FA Cup titles before joining Juventus last summer. However, his time in Turin hasn’t been successful as he failed to adjust to Maurizio Sarri’s system and lacked regular game time.
The midfielder has also been capped 58 times by Wales and has immense experience in the Premier League. Thus, Newcastle should secure his services this summer.
Ramsey – An experienced campaigner
Despite staying in the top half of the league standings until December, Steve Bruce’s men finished 13th in the league standings. They have been inconsistent in the latter stages of the campaign and it is clear that the manager needs to bring in reinforcements.
One key area Bruce should focus on strengthening is the midfield. Shelvey, Sean Longstaff, and Don Barlaser are the only three attack-minded midfielders available at the manager’s disposal. Shelvey did a decent job last season as he managed to end up being the club’s top scorer with 6 league goals.
Longstaff has been a regular starter but the youngster hasn’t been at his best, lacking consistency. Barlaser just returned from a loan spell with Rotherham United and has just one more year left on his contract with the club. Thus, the Magpies should consider bringing in experienced campaigners this summer.
In that regard, Ramsey would be a smart addition to the squad. Despite struggling with injury issues in his career, he was an influential figure at Arsenal. He has made 440 career appearances, with the majority of them coming in England.
He could also provide the Magpies with some much-needed goals from the middle of the park, which is evident from the 7 goals he scored in the 2017/18 and the 6 goals he scored in the following season.
He is one of the best box-to-box midfielders and could come in handy for the manager defensively too. Ramsey’s experience would be a massive boost to the squad and his inclusion would add quality to their midfield contingent.
Read more
- Why Newcastle United should keep hold of Jacob Murphy
- Why Newcastle United should avoid a move for Tom Davies
Verdict
With limited options, it is clear that the Magpies are in dire need of midfielders. And Ramsey, who has spent the majority of his career in England, could provide them with some much-needed quality. Thus, they should manage to lure the Wales international to St. James’ Park this summer.
