Why Piotr Zielinski is the ideal replacement for Aaron Ramsey at Arsenal
Napoli star Piotr Zielinski has been identified by Unai Emery as a replacement for Aaron Ramsey, according to the Daily Mirror.
Aaron Ramsey is a free agent at the end of the campaign and Arsenal have withdrawn their new contract offer for the Welshman. As Ramsey’s deal expires next summer, the Gunners could offload him in January rather than lose him for nothing at the end of the season.
And as per the Daily Mirror, Emery has already identified the Welshman’s replacement in Napoli midfielder Piotr Zielinski.
The 24-year-old has already made over 100 appearances for Napoli since joining from Udinese in 2016. He is under contract at Stadio San Paulo until 2021 and the Serie A club might not be interested in selling one of their key performers.
Zielinski plied his trade for the senior side of Udinese and Empoli before switching to Napoli in the summer of 2016. The Pole has established himself as one of the sought-after midfielders across Europe since making the switch to Napoli.
Like Ramsey, he is an all-round midfielder capable of scoring long-range scorchers, dictating the tempo from deep and running around the field with his seemingly boundless energy. He is capable of operating in a number of positions and it’s the 24-year-old’s versatility that remains his strongest suit.
As far as Ramsey is concerned, the Wales international has been a key performer for Arsenal. He remains a vital cog at the club and is a seasoned professional in the Premier League despite suffering various injuries.
At 27, Ramsey is in his prime years of footballing career and although he has been a loyal servant to the Gunners, Emery seems ready to let the player walk away.
It certainly is a bold decision taken by Emery to not extend Ramsey’s contract which expires in the summer of 2019. The Arsenal manager has already made plans to replace Ramsey and has targeted Zielinski, who is three years younger than the Welshman.
Zielinski might face problems in adapting to the demands of the Premier League but he is an experienced footballer with high work rate and technical ability suited to Emery’s style of play at the Emirates.
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All in all, the Pole appears to be a perfect replacement for Ramsey, although Arsenal have to spend around €65million, which is the midfielder’s release clause.