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Andy Gray tells Unai Emery the £50m signing Arsenal must make this summer
ARSENAL must spend up to £50million this summer to replace Aaron Ramsey - because Matteo Guendouzi is not yet ready to fill his shoes.
Arsenal must spend £50 million to replace Ramsey says Gray
That is according to beIN SPORTS pundit and former Aston Villa striker Andy Gray.
Ramsey will leave Arsenal upon the expiry of his contract at the end of the season.
The Wales international has signed a pre-contract agreement to join Serie A giants Juventus.
Ramsey has been in fine form since the deal to take him to Turin has been announced, showing Arsenal fans what they will be missing.
He looks a talent but he’s miles away from being Aaron Ramsey
Gray says Arsenal would have to wait two or three years to see whether French ace Guendouzi is capable of producing what Ramsey has during his time at the club.
Guendouzi, 20, has been a regular in squads this season after joining from Ligue 2 outfit Lorient last summer.
Gray says the midfielder has plenty of potential but money should be spent this summer to source a direct replacement for Ramsey.
And he reckons it would cost at least £40m to do so.
“Well you probably start at £40m - start at £40m,” Gray said.
“If you want to replace him for what he’s got now.
“Listen, Guendouzi may be a player who comes in and in three or four years time he might be the new Aaron Ramsey, we don’t know that.
“He’s a young kid, they brought him from the second division in France.
“He looks a talent but he’s miles away from being Aaron Ramsey.
“So they’ve got to either wait two or three years to see if Guendouzi can become an Aaron Ramsey, and that’s not a given.
“Or they’ve got to look at and think ‘we’ve got to spend £45-50m to get a midfield player that can do what Aaron Ramsey does for us but will be doing for Juventus next year’.”