Arsenal star Aaron Ramsey on collapsed contract talks: I have no idea why club withdrew offer

Aaron Ramsey has admitted he is still in the dark over why contract talks with Arsenal collapsed.

The 27-year-old midfielder looks set to leave the Gunners after the club last month withdrew an offer understood to be a significant increase on his £110,000-a-week wage.

It is believed the decision was taken by senior figures above head coach Unai Emery — although he was consulted on the situation — and Ramsey will be free to talk to overseas clubs from January 1 when entering the final six months of his existing deal.

Asked whether there was any possibility he could yet stay at the club beyond next summer, Ramsey told Standard Sport: “Well, there is no contract on the table at the moment so there is nothing for me to consider.

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“We all know that the contract was taken away off the table. I’m not sure exactly why because a few weeks before we sort of agreed and I was ready to sign.

“Something happened, I am not sure what. So, I just have to get my head down, work hard and help this team as much as I can. We’ll see where that takes me.

“Hopefully somebody will tell me why. I’ll accept that, if there’s a reason. At the moment, no, I haven’t [looked for answers].”

Ramsey, who stated he would not join north London rivals Tottenham, has attracted interest from several foreign clubs including AC Milan, Inter Milan and Juventus.

It is understood Liverpool and Manchester United are weighing up January moves if Arsenal hint they would consider selling in in the next transfer window.

When the possibility of playing abroad was put to the Welshman, he said: “I’m not thinking about anything else apart from playing for Arsenal at the moment, so we will see what the future holds further down the line.

“These things happen in football and I’m just concentrating on playing now. I’m not really thinking about anything else too much.

“I’ve got other things as well in my life that I’m delighted with. I had twins last week, so everything is good at the moment for me. I can’t complain. I’m just going out there and trying to help this team as much as I can.”

Ramsey captained Arsenal last night as they beat Sporting Lisbon 1-0 here in Portugal courtesy of a 77th-minute goal from Danny Welbeck to take control of Group E with nine points from their three games.

It was the first time the midfielder had been given the armband since Emery named him as one of Arsenal’s five captains in pre-season and a sign that, despite not starting the last two Premier League games, his contract situation will not lessen his responsibilities in the dressing room.

“He [Emery] is just concentrating on football as well and wants me to do the best for this club,” said Ramsey.

“He trusts me, he has made me one of the captains and we are just focusing on trying to achieve something special this season.”

Arsenal secured their 11th consecutive win in Lisbon, albeit with an absence of some of the free-flowing football that has lit up their play of late.

An attritional first-half littered with mistakes meant the Gunners went in level at the interval for the eighth time in this unbeaten sequence but they finished the game strongly, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang going close before Welbeck struck.

Ramsey added: “As a team we are probably working harder, wearing teams down a lot more.

“We have become stronger as the game goes on and that’s probably why we are creating a lot of opportunities in the second half.

“We haven’t used the pitchside gym much but we have been working hard on the training pitch. Our stats suggest that we have improved in that department, working harder as a team.”