Unai Emery took over from Arsene Wenger at the start of the current campaign and made quite a few changes to the whole squad. He brought in some new players, dropped a few here and there and eventually made a combination of changes to suit his tactics as the season went on. With that being said, he made one big error that may cost the Gunners a lot more than what he can give back to the club.
However, the Spaniard’s biggest error of the campaign came when he did not renew the contract of midfielder Aaron Ramsey, who will be joining Juventus at the end of the current season. The attacker was one of the most dynamic players under the new manager, after being a loyal star for the Gunners over the past two decades.
He had joined the club as a youngster and had grown under the guidance and supervision of Arsene Wenger. He had grown as a top star and had helped the team a few FA Cup titles, under the Frenchman, who was the most successful manager of the north London giants.
However, Emery though that he had given his all for the club and that he did not want to retain his services. This was his biggest mistake. Though the Spanish manager had seen quite a bit of success with Sevilla in the Europa League, he did not read this situation right.
Ever since agreeing a deal with Serie A champs Juventus, Ramsey was a man-on-a-mission and a changed player. Not just was he quite energetic, he used to play like he was playing the last game of his career. He was one of the best players on the pitch quite often and scored plenty of crucial goals for his side.
With that being said, it will be a huge loss for the Londoners to lose a player, who was being their best chance of creating a goal-scoring opportunity and actually scoring it after Lacazette and Aubameyang. Though the attacking duo were quite good right through the season, there were times when they looked lacklustre and it was Ramsey delivering the goods and leaving his mark on games that were must-win.
Who can forget his key goals in those FA Cup finals that brought Arsenal glory after all those years. He was injured in the Europa League quarter-final second-leg against Napoli and was missed in the semis as well. However, he was there with the team in spirit and support and the fans would be hoping that he could play the final, of which he has made a reputation of being a specialist scorer.
There is no doubt that Ramsey is a highly talented, if not a world-class player and losing him for free will not just be Emery’s, but Arsenal’s biggest mistake of the season. Juve are lucky that they did not have to pay a penny for getting such a highly talented star and the fans will be happy that now he will play alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and co. in the upcoming campaign.