Aaron Ramsey: Part Of Fabio Paratici's Juventus Master Plan?

Aaron Ramsey: Part Of Fabio Paratici's Juventus Master Plan?

Juventus announced the signing of former Arsenal man Aaron Ramsey. Is this just the first step in Fabio Paratici’s master plan?

Feb 15, 2019 by Adam Digby
Aaron Ramsey: Part Of Fabio Paratici's Juventus Master Plan?

Ending months of speculation that a deal had been agreed, this week saw Juventus finally announce the signing of Aaron Ramsey. Out of contract this summer with Premier League side Arsenal, the Welsh midfielder had been linked with a number of other sides, too, turning down approaches from Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Inter and Paris Saint-Germain to put pen to paper on a four-year deal with the Bianconeri.

That contract will begin on July 1, 2019, but it has also led to some erroneous reporting on the salary he will receive. Perhaps due to confusion in the way wages are reported in Italy (by annual sum, after tax) compared to England (weekly, before tax), a number of outlets insisted Ramsey would receive a salary from Juve of £400,000 per week, a figure which equates to almost £84 million over the course of his deal.

After some investigation on our part, FloFC has been told the true figure is closer to €7 million per year, putting the 28-year-old in line with the club’s second tier earners like Paulo Dybala, with Cristiano Ronaldo the only exception to that wage structure. Given that other free agent signings like Sami Khedira, Emre Can and Dani Alves have also been given similar terms, that makes much more sense than the original reports, which caused no end of outrage on social media.



Putting aside the debate over what he will earn, the more important (and ultimately much more interesting) question is how he will contribute on the pitch. The biggest lament among regular observers of the Old Lady over the past few seasons has been the lack of playmaking in midfield, with Miralem Pjanić the only creative player in that unit. Aside from the Bosnia international, the club’s other options—Khedira, Can and Blaise Matuidi—are much more adept at breaking up opposition attacks than starting one themselves.

However, there is a strong belief that the new man has largely been miscast, as one Welsh football expert explained. “Ramsey has always been underrated at Arsenal, certainly by many of their fans, and his best performances often came in spite of the role given to him,” Huw Davis, the former managing editor of FourFourTwo magazine, told FloFC. “We’re talking about a player who was in the top 10 for Premier League assists in 2018, averaging a goal or assist every 123 minutes last season despite playing relatively deep and less than regularly, so the idea that he can start anew is exciting.”

Davis is not alone in the belief that there is still some untapped potential in Ramsey, with the man who signed him for Juventus clearly sharing that same opinion. “We don’t have another player like him in our squad, as he has more technique than our midfielders but is less versatile,” sporting director Fabio Paratici said in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport this week. “He’s a man for the final pass, and he has an eye for goal. Ramsey’s a player who, in my opinion, still hasn’t found his position because he’s never played on the outside of a three-man unit, which is his role as it lets him make runs in behind.”


That is undoubtedly the role he would be asked to fill in Turin, with boss Max Allegri almost exclusively using a 4-3-3 framework since the arrival of Ronaldo. With Pjanić occupying the central role and either Matuidi or Can lining up beside him to cover the defense, the side is crying out for a player who can command the ball and either drive forward with it or pick out a pass to release one of the attacking trident.

According to Opta statistics, Ramsey is averaging 1.8 take-ons per 90 minutes this season, a figure far higher than any of Juve’s current midfield options can muster (Matuidi’s 1.2 currently leads the way). It is a similar story in terms of chances created in open play, where the Arsenal man’s 1.7 per 90 minutes is—aside from Pjanić’s 1.5—far higher than the output of Rodrigo Bentancur (0.9), Matuidi (0.7) or Khedira (0.2).

Those two aspects of play are hugely important in big games, the Bianconeri constantly coming up against resolute opponents who can hold off the club’s current midfielders with relative ease. While they have no problem opening up Sassuolo or Chievo, having a player like Ramsey to come in and operate between the lines will be invaluable in Europe, and that is undoubtedly where the Old Lady’s ambitions currently lie.

Yet it is also worth noting that, given the strength of Allegri’s side, it would not be surprising if there is another midfield addition this summer. The attack sees Ronaldo supported by a plethora of excellent options with Mario Mandžukić, Federico Bernardeschi, Douglas Costa and Paulo Dybala, while central defense will need one addition after the unexpected departure of Medhi Benatia. 

All other roles are well staffed, meaning it was no surprise to read that Paratici spent this week running the rule over expensive options for those two gaps in the squad. According to Italian transfer expert Gianluca Di Marzio, the club official was at the Johan Cruijff Arena in Amsterdam to watch Matthijs de Ligt during Ajax-Real Madrid after seeing Roma-Porto just 24 hours earlier where he focused on Nicolò Zaniolo.

While adding a talent like De Ligt would be a major coup, perhaps it is news of Juve’s interest in the Roma starlet that makes a move for Ramsey even more sensible. Prior to acquiring the Welshman, the Bianconeri were linked with high-priced moves for either Paul Pogba or Lazio’s Sergej Milinković-Savić.

Both would’ve cost around €100 million, while Zaniolo—who has been simply stunning for Roma this term—is likely to be much cheaper. The 19-year-old would, much like Bernardeschi did, have time to settle in while a proven player like Ramsey not only teaches him the nuances of his role, but also removes much of the pressure and expectation.

For now it is merely speculation, but so too was the signing of the Wales international until it was confirmed this week. Juventus have taken the first step and acquired a player in Aaron Ramsey who can help them in the short term, but doesn’t it feel like part of a much bigger Fabio Paratici plan?


Adam Digby is an Italian football writer for FourFourTwo, The Independent, and elsewhere. Author of "Juventus: A History In Black & White." Follow Adam on Twitter.