Arsenal Transfer News: Aaron Ramsey Contract Rumours Denied

Aaron Ramsey doesn't want £300,000 a week to stay at Arsenal, according to the midfielder's representatives. Avid Sports and Entertainment Group answered a question on Twitter by denying Ramsey has asked for such a sum to remain in north London:

Goal's Chris Burton noted how negotiations between player and club will continue as the Gunners are determined not to let Ramsey, whose deal expires nest summer, to leave for free.

Football consultant Ian McGarry had hinted on the Transfer Window Podcast (h/t Rhys Turrell of the Daily Star) might be waiting for terms closer to what Mesut Ozil earns.

McGarry used Ozil's contract as a frame of reference for what Ramsey may want:

"Looking around the dressing room and seeing what other players are being paid, in Arsenal's case the ludicrous contract that they awarded to Mesut Ozil in February, Ramsey might not think he's going to get that level of contract, sees himself as all footballers do when they get the age of 28, think this could be my last major contract."

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Ozil inked a new deal paying him £350,000 per week earlier this year. The idea Ramsey would want something close to parity with Arsenal's top earners is not an unreasonable one.

He has proved a terrific signing after originally costing the club just £5 million back in 2008. Then, Ramsey was joining as a 17-year-old prodigy from Cardiff City.

While a broken leg suffered against Stoke City in 2010 curtailed his development at a crucial time, Ramsey has since rebounded nicely. The highlights of his time with the Gunners are undoubtedly scoring the winner to beat Hull City in the 2014 FA Cup final, before netting another decisive goal to beat Chelsea to the Cup three years later.

Ramsey is a complete midfielder, one with an engine to make regular box-to-box runs, as well as the tenacity to be a ball-winner. Yet the central tenants of Ramsey's game are a natural flair in possession, along with a keen eye for goal.

Those qualities led to a hugely productive campaign in the final third last season:

Ramsey is now preparing for a first season without Arsene Wenger in charge of the Gunners, after Unai Emery succeeded the Frenchman earlier in the summer. Emery seems just as big a fan of Ramsey, having already talked up the 27-year-old as a potential captain, per Football.London (h/t Malik Ouzia of the London Evening Standard).

However, Emery's plans could be thwarted since Ramsey holds all the cards in negotiations. If Arsenal don't offer the right deal, he could indulge interest from Premier League rivals Chelsea and Liverpool, per Neil Fissler of the Sunday Express.

Fortunately, Emery has already retooled the Arsenal midfield by signing Lucas Torreiraand Matteo Guendouzi. They give the Gunners a pair of deep-lying playmakers, along with Granit Xhaka and Mohamed Elneny, while Ozil and Henrikh Mkhitaryan create chances further forward.

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Add in the emergence of Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Reiss Nelson and Emile Smith Rowe, and Arsenal may have enough options to cash in on Ramsey.