Arsenal Transfer News: Latest Rumours on Aaron Ramsey, Theo Walcott, More

Arsenal are reportedly planning contract talks with a number of top players before Christmas to avoid a repeat of recent uncertainty over stars' futures.

According to Jeremy Wilson in the Telegraph, Aaron Ramsey, Theo Walcott, Petr Cech, Danny Welbeck and Nacho Monreal are all only under contract to 2019, and Arsenal "intend to be proactive" about tying those they want to keep to new terms as soon as possible.

The 2016-17 campaign was plagued by ongoing concerns over Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez's contracts—both of which are still set to expire at the end of the current term—while Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain departed for Liverpool having turned down a significant pay increase at the Emirates Stadium, per the Daily Mail's Sami Mokbel, Dominic King and Simon Jones.

Wilson added further talks will be held with Sanchez and Ozil after they remained at the club following the transfer window, but it is unlikely they will be tempted into signing new deals.

As outlined by BBC Sport's David Ornstein, Arsenal endured a fairly shambolic summer transfer window:

They signed Alexandre Lacazette and Sead Kolasinac but lost some key players, failed to offload and land others, and had to fight furiously to keep hold of some of their major stars.

Speculation over Sanchez and Ozil, both 28, served as a distraction for Arsenal last term as they failed to finish in the top four of the Premier League.

The Gunners cannot afford a repeat in 2017-18 around players now in the final two years of their contract.

Ramsey, 26, expressed his disappointment at Oxlade-Chamberlain's departure on social media:

The Welsh midfielder is a key player for Arsenal and, along with the likes of Cech and Welbeck, could be crucial to the Gunners returning to the UEFA Champions League.

Tying them to new contracts as soon as possible will help to settle an Arsenal changing room that has long seemed fractured and unsure.