Why Aaron Ramsey Is the Arsenal Player Manchester City Should Try to Sign

The Arsenal squad is far from complete, but it contains perhaps more attacking brilliance than any they have assembled at any time in recent years.

They desperately need a defensive midfielder given their paucity of options and lack of quality there, and some defensive recruits to strengthen their hand would also be welcome.

But when they line up to face Manchester City on Monday evening, there will be an array of talented, match-winning footballers who will demand attention from Manuel Pellegrini’s players.

Chief among them is Mesut Ozil, probably the most productive attacking midfielder in the Premier League this term, with 13 assists to his name already. It’s an outstanding return for a player who took time to adapt to English football but one who is clearly revelling now.

He’s a gifted schemer, allowed to drift into various different areas, usually between the lines, to hurt the opposition. It takes a significant amount of ability and natural aptitude to be able to play that position successfully, and Ozil can certainly be deemed as having such.

In terms of performance level this season, Ozil, 27, would top City’s list of desired Arsenal players. He’s been a revelation, the kind of player who opens up defences with one drop of a shoulder and a pass that looks so simple yet causes chaos for the opposition. Very often, it takes just one swing of his boot and Arsenal are in on goal. He possesses remarkable ability.

But City are already blessed with their own pass master in David Silva. He’s arguably the club’s finest ever player and certainly the most important attacking star in the current side.

Silva, 29, dictates the pace of the game, controlling it with his ability to hold onto the ball and see passes others don’t. Everything goes through him. The difference in the way City play with and without him his marked, such is his influence.

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He sees the game with a kind of clarity others can only dream of. Ask any City fan whether they would swap him for another player in world football, and the answer, invariably, would be "no."

Ozil is younger than Silva, but only by two years. If City want a succession plan in place to ensure the Spaniard is replaced properly when his contract expires in 2019, then Isco, currently playing irregularly for Real Madrid, would surely be their primary target.

Isco, at just 23, is the heir to Silva’s throne at international level and could be at club level if the Blues can do a deal to bring him to Manchester. He could provide City with years to service and has the quality they need to be a creative force from midfield. His is a wonderful game, built around natural talent and an appreciation of space. He could fit straight into City’s starting XI.

Alexis Sanchez would be high up the list of targets should City be given carte blanche to sign who they want from the Emirates Stadium club. Sanchez, who has scored 22 goals in 47 Premier League games since joining the north London side in 2014, is strong, lightening quick and possesses technical excellence.

His touch is fantastic, and he can beat players with ease. He shoots from various distances and angles and has an insatiable appetite for goals. He has revolutionised Arsenal since his arrival, bringing a cutting edge they perhaps lacked prior to his signing.

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However, City’s need for him has been somewhat reduced by Raheem Sterling’s arrival in the summer.

Last season, Pellegrini’s side were in desperate need of pace and directness in wide areas, a ball-carrier who could pick the ball up, run at speed and take players on. Sterling, although nowhere near the level of Sanchez at this stage, has provided them with some of those qualities.

The England forward has only just turned 21 yet managed to leave Liverpool against a backdrop of hostility and come into a new side, one chasing multiple trophies, and excel. It’s testament to his character and ability, and City have nabbed themselves a star for years to come.

All of which leaves Aaron Ramsey as the obvious candidate. Ramsey has developed into one of the finest, most complete midfield players in Europe in recent years, providing Arsenal with energy, industry, stamina and both defensive and attacking capabilities. 

He’s intelligent and technical. He can run and tackle. He can pass and shoot. He combats attacks and starts his own. There’s little he can’t do.

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With Yaya Toure clearly declining—understandable given he is 32—a player such as Ramsey, who offers such a complete package, is exactly what they need. And he’s only 24.

There’s plenty of time, then, for him to develop further, to add the extra elements to his game to take him to an even higher level. Toure is impossible to replace, such are his unmatchable range of attributes, but City need to find someone, and Ramsey is up there as one of the best candidates.

Of course, the reality is Arsenal would be unlikely to sell any of their top stars to City. They have done so in the not-too-distant past, but with their financial situation secure and the Emirates Stadium no longer a burden—not to mention the new television deal that offers Premier League clubs untold riches—the need for them to do business with City is significantly reduced.

If, though, Pellegrini could cherry-pick one, surely it would be Ramsey.

Rob Pollard is Bleacher Report's lead Manchester City correspondent and will be following the club from a Manchester base throughout the 2015/16 season. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter @RobPollard_.