Aaron Ramsey’s Next Club: Bayern Munich or Juventus?

Back when Aaron Ramsey was a promising young midfielder at Cardiff City, he was faced with a choice. Courted by both Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger, the teenager opted to sign for Arsenal over Manchester United. In retrospect, that was the wrong choice. Arsenal was always an awkward fit for a player of Ramsey’s type, and now the two parties look set to part ways.

Indeed, Arsenal have made clear that having pulled their contract offer to the Welshman, Ramsey will leave the club as a free agent at the end of the season. And so the starting pistol has been fired on the race to sign the 27-year-old, with almost every elite club from Barcelona to Liverpool, Chelsea to Manchester United, linked with a move.

Over the past few weeks, though, two clubs have started to pull away in the pursuit to sign Ramsey. Both Bayern Munich and Juventus believe they stand a good chance of securing the services of the Welsh midfielder, with one report last week even claiming that the former had reached an agreement with the player.

So which of these two clubs would suit Ramsey best? 10 years ago, he picked the wrong club to join. Now, as he enters his peak years, his choice must be the right one. Make another wrong decision and Ramsey will be remembered for the player he could have become rather than the one he was.

At Bayern, Ramsey could make himself a central figure in a squad rebuild. The Bavarians are expected to spend big in the summer as they finally make the transition from one generation to the next and Ramsey could be installed as a mainstay at one of the biggest, most successful clubs in the world. He’d make up for lost time, and trophies, at Arsenal by collecting medals in Germany.

The high tempo and intensity of the Bundesliga might also suit Ramsey. In Italy, while stereotypes about ‘Catenaccio’ and defensive conservatism are outdated, the play is generally slower. Ramsey is a player who is defined by his energy and drive through the centre of the pitch.

However, Paul Pogba was a high-energy driving force and he thrived at Juventus. The competition would be stiff for Ramsey in Turin, but he would be joining a club on the up, a club that could be considered favourites for the Champions League this season. Once more, a move there could see Ramsey make up for lost time.

Ramsey’s potential has never been in any doubt. Over the years, there have been glimpses of his brilliance, most notably in the 2013/14 season when the Welshman enjoyed a rather unprecedented goalscoring run for a central midfielder. Now, though, he must show this on a more regular basis. He needs a club that will harness him, not suppress him.