AARON RAMSEY will leave Arsenal and join Juventus in the summer, it has been claimed.
The Wales international is out of contract at the end of the summer and will be free to speak to potential suitors in January.
Arsenal were keen on retaining the former Cardiff City man’s services and initially offered him a new contract.
But somewhat surprisingly, club chiefs pulled the plug on a deal to extend the midfielder’s ten-year stay at the Emirates.
And according to Rai Sports journalist Ciro Venerato, Ramsey will join the Old Lady as a free agent.
“Aaron Ramsey’s transfer to Juventus is done, he’ll be a Juventus player,” Venerato said.
“[Fabio] Paratici [Juventus’ sporting director] has beaten Milan, Inter, PSG, Barcelona & Bayern to secure the services of Ramsey. Who has said his yes in an Emre Can style operation (free transfer in the summer).”
Venerato claims Ramsey will pen a four-year deal with the Italian champions worth £7.2million-a-year.
Aaron Ramsey will sign a four-year contract with Juventus until 2023 with an option for another year. Earning £7.2million (€8million) per year,” he added.
“He was convinced a few weeks ago.”
Arsenal boss Unai Emery was about Juventus’ interest in Ramsey earlier this week but refused to be drawn on the matter.
“For me, the most important thing for every player is for their focus to be here,” he said.
“They have their individual situations or circumstances in their contract in their present and in their future, but my present, my future is here in Arsenal.
“They show me the focus for us and I think it’s not easy for Aaron, but I spoke with him and we need his performances for us.
“He played yesterday with a good spirit, like I want and he helped us, not to win but he was working well. I am happy.
“I need this focus also from him, to us, to help us to go to Liverpool on Saturday and then to Fulham.
“His future is only for him and for his agent.
“Above all, I want and he should have, his focus for helping us.”
Ramsey and his Arsenal team-mates will be back in action tomorrow afternoon when they travel to Anfield to take on league leaders Liverpool.
The north Londoners go into the back of a 1-1 draw with Brighton, which saw them lose pace on fourth-placed Chelsea.
Source:www.express.co.uk