Former Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey has opened up on how he could have ended up at Manchester United
Arsenal completed the £4.8million signing of Aaron Ramsey on this day 16 years ago – but things could well have turned out differently.
Battling for the services of the midfielder during the summer of 2008, thewere facing strong competition for the Welshman from bitter rivals Manchester United.
Sir Alex Ferguson was believed to have met withwithalso holding talks, and United looked to be on track to get a deal done. That certainly appeared to be the case when United publicly announced they had agreed a fee with Cardiff for the Welshman, only for the Gunners to complete a deal one week later.
This proved to be an inspired piece of transfer business for Arsenal, who enjoyed 11 years of service from the 33-year-old and some key moments in crucial matches – none more so than in FA Cup final wins in 2014 and 2017.
Opening up on why he chose to snub a move to Old Trafford and opt for Arsenal, Ramsey previously told
: “I was always a Cardiff supporter, but my dad was a Manchester United fan and I watched them quite a lot with him.
“It was a strange time in my life, to have two teams I’d watched so much as a child showing interest in me. I spoke to both managers on the phone a few times. I was 17 years old and I was getting voicemails from Fergie and Arsene Wenger! It was mad.
“Arsenal felt like the right decision for me. I remember showing up to training on my first day and seeing Kolo Toure, Cesc Fabregas, Emmanuel Adebayor, William Gallas… I had to pinch myself. I was like, ‘What on Earth am I doing here?’ It was an exciting time for me.”
Ramsey would eventually leave Arsenal in 2019 to sign for Italian giants Juventus on a free transfer, penning a four-year deal worth a reported £400,000 per week. He lasted only two seasons in Turin, however, before his contract was terminated. A season in Ligue with Nice then followed before a return to boyhood club Cardiff last season.
His deal with the Bluebirds is set to expire at the end of next season, at which point the Arsenal hero will have turned 34.
