Arsenal Transfer News: Gunners Reportedly Discuss New Contract for Aaron Ramsey

Arsenal have reportedly held "provisional talks" with Aaron Ramsey about a new contract, according to Jeremy Wilson of the Daily Telegraph.

Wilson noted how goalkeeper Petr Cech and striker Danny Welbeck are also out of contract in 2019. Of the three, securing Ramsey's future for the long-term should be Arsenal's most important task.

The Wales international is an underrated talisman in midfield for the Gunners. Ramsey has been exceptional this season, scoring three goals and adding six assists.

He has been a regular presence since manager Arsene Wenger switched Arsenal to a 3-4-2-1 formation earlier this year. The change gave Ramsey more freedom to make late runs from deep, one of the main strengths of his game.

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One such run allowed the 26-year-old to head the winning goal to beat Chelsea in last season's FA Cup final. It was Ramsey's second winner in a final, having scored to beat Hull City in the same competition in 2014.

Wenger remains a huge admirer of the player he signed from Cardiff City as a teenager in 2008. The Arsenal boss recently talked up Ramsey's importance, per James Benge of the London Evening Standard: "He can go from the first to the last minute and has the engine to do both sides of the game and that is what we want."

Earlier this month, Wenger revealed the Gunners have been dealing with Ramsey's contract situation, per Metro. Keeping Ramsey makes sense, but Arsenal may already have an alternative lined up after The Sun's Daniel Cutts reported the north London club is leading the chase for Schalke star Leon Goretzka.

Like Ramsey, Goretzka is a workhorse in the mould of a classic box-to-box midfielder. Pairing the two together would upset the balance of Wenger's squad in the middle.

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One reason Ramsey has flourished has been his partnership with Granit Xhaka, who tends to operate deeper, where his steady passing offers the perfect complement to Ramsey's buccaneering raids forward.

Arsenal need those runs off the ball to provide targets for creative passers like Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez. The pair are out of contract next summer, and it's a situation the Gunners should do all they can to avoid with Ramsey in 2019.