Aaron Ramsey's Response to Being Asked if He'll Join Tottenham at the End of His Arsenal Deal
Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey has ruled out making a move to one Premier League rival when he leaves Arsenal next summer - confirming he's not considering making a move across north London to arch rivals Tottenham.
The Welshman is out of contract in the summer after the club took a new deal for the player off the table. However, Ramsey has said that he wouldn't join his current team's bitter rivals and - albeit in reverse - follow in the footsteps of club legend Sol Campbell, who switched north London allegiances in 2001.
Campbell swapped White Hart Lane for Highbury in one of the most dramatic free transfers in Premier League history, and went on to win two league titles and two FA Cups during his time at the club.
27-year-old Ramsey, who remains Arsenal's longest serving player, responded with a definitive "no" when asked about the possibility of joining Tottenham next summer in a recent interview, as reported by the Sun.
Ramsey admitted he was still in the dark as to why a contract offer was revoked by Arsenal, even hinting he was ready to pen a new deal just a few weeks prior: “We all know the contract has been taken off the table and I still don’t know why because a few weeks before we’d sort of agreed a deal and I was ready to sign.
“But something happened within the club and I’m not exactly sure what it was. Hopefully one day somebody will come up and tell me why they changed their minds. Maybe I’ll get some clarity when the time is right. If I get some reasons, maybe I can accept them, but that hasn’t happened yet."
Ramsey joined Arsenal from boyhood club Cardiff for £5m in 2008, and has gone on to make 340 appearances for the club - becoming the club's highest scoring midfielder in the process. Despite the uncertainty over his future, Ramsey has insisted that it hasn't affected his relationship with Unai Emery this season, and will continue to give his best for the club.
“Any player who is not in starting line-up would be disappointed not to play but I’m part of the team and we are all in it together to try and achieve the same objective," he said. "The boss has named me as one of his five captains so I still have an important part to play in the dressing-room.
"We’re just focusing on trying to achieve something special this season and we’re delighted to be on this winning run.”
Arsenal have won their last 11 games on the bounce - the best run of any club in Europe's top five leagues.