Both Danny Welbeck and Aaron Ramsey are in the final year of their contracts; neither of them has indicated a willingness to stay nor have they responded to the improved deals on offer. It is rumoured that Ramsey has said he will sign in AFC double his , already inflated, wages (this is a man who lives in the most expensive house in Wales!)
We have been here before and not so long ago. Alexis Sanchez forced his way out of Arsenal by refusing to sign a massively improved contract. Sold in January, his agent managed to persuade MU to give Sanchez a purported £380k a week, plus £71k per game appearance, plus £1m a season signing-on fee!! No wonder he left AFC. Brilliant business for the player but not for either club.
And then there was Ozil. Great player but worth over £300k a week? He and his agent hung on until AFC where forced into a corner, especially after losing Sanchez.
What did AFC and our new negotiating team learn from this? Well, it seems sweet FA.
Had they been sold in summer, Ramsey would have attracted offers above €35m, Welbeck as an established International, around €20m. Can the club afford to let them run down their contracts and leave for free next summer or swapped for an inferior player in January? €50+m would allow us to buy the new, young CB we are crying out for. It would not have been Sokratis we signed but (perhaps) a player of Varane quality, maybe even Godin (though he is a bit old).
And while we are on strange (read incomprehensible) decisions, why did they give Elneny an improved contract? Is it worth paying him a few mill a year just to get a few games in the Europa? I like Elneny wish him well but he is limited in his ability whereas Xhaka (who also got a new contract) has clear potential to become a fine player.
So what do you think? Do AFC give in to player power or get tough and sell players who do not sign contracts which are running down?
Not a simple decision.
written by Big Raddy