Aaron Ramsey has spoken to the media for the first time since his transfer to Arsenal earlier this summer. Aaron has spoken to the press in Wales about his move and how excited his is to be playing for us next season. He says he’ll always have a place in his heart for Cardiff City but Arsenal is a great opportunity for him. He also says he’s aiming towards that first game of the season vs. West Brom and will fight to make the first XI. Here’s what he had to say:

“I am just so looking forward to the start of pre-season training on Tuesday. Obviously the plan for me is to have a good pre-season and try my hardest to get up to the fitness levels the Premiership requires. I will try my best to get in the starting line-up at the beginning of the season against West Brom.

I’m so happy to have signed for Arsenal and I can’t wait to meet my new team mates. I am joining one of the biggest clubs in the world, one which always gives young players an opportunity at the highest level. I am going to work my hardest to be part of future successes there.

I supported Manchester United as a youngster because they were on the TV the whole time and my footballing idol was Roy Keane. But once I had spoken to Arsene Wenger, the way he described the Arsenal set-up and their plans for the future impressed me. I just had a gut instinct that the right move for me would be joining Arsenal. It was my decision. I thought about where the best place would be for me to develop as a player…and that was Arsenal.

I don’t think too many people wouldn’t look forward to coming under the guidance of Arsene Wenger and playing next to someone like Cesc Fabregas. Arsene is a great manager and Cesc can make something happen out of nothing on the pitch.”

I like his ambition, and I’m sure if Wenger sees that Ramsey is giving 100% in training, then he will give the boy the game against West Brom to prove himself. Arsene loves a player that is committed and tries his hardest so it wouldn’t surprise me to see him starting along side Cesc.

As he is a new player, he’ll get plenty of action in our pre-season friendlies. I’m quite looking forward to seeing what this guy has to give. I’m guessing he’ll start against Barnet on the 19th, we’ll all get our first glimpse of him in the Arsenal shirt then and I bet he’ll be out to impress.

The top story today comes from the mouth of our Chairman, Peter Hill-Wood. He’s been speaking to the Daily Telegraph about various things and of course Adebayor’s future was the first thing he was asked about:

“We want him to stay, definitely. Adebayor still has a long time left on his contract, and we have absolutely no intention of releasing him from that contract. You want to keep your best players and Adebayor is one of those.

Personally, and I think most fans are of similar opinion, Ade has gone too far and I have lost interest in him. The club might be doing their best to keep him but at the moment I hope we flog him for a decent price. He is under contract though, for three more years, so we aren’t forced to sell him. That gives us the advantage because a large fee will have to be paid if we are to let him go. This story goes on and on, there must be an ending soon…

Hill-Wood goes on to talk about the contemporary footballer; the way that contracts now must be renewed every year to secure their future and that money rules everything. The chairman believes there is no loyalty any more like their used to be:

I’m afraid that’s the way of the world. It’s annoying, but it is modern football. The idea that you are going to have a number of your team playing for you for 15 years, as one used to have, has disappeared. It makes it harder for the manager, but he is fully aware of what is happening.

It’s the modern way, so we have to adapt. Arsene will manage the situation to the best of his ability. But it’s true though, years ago you never used to get worried about Ian Wright, Dennis Bergkamp, Tony Adams, Ray Parlour etc leaving every summer, you just knew they would be staying, unless they said otherwise.

The chairman also admitted that Hleb might not be an Arsenal player for much longer:

Hleb has made it clear he wants to go. I think maybe he will go.”

I thought he would be long gone by now but the search for a club goes on. It’s gone a bit quiet over Hleb recently, but that could just be because it’s been overshadowed by the Adebayor saga. Recently, I started to think about whether Alex might stay, but Hill-Wood today confirmed that his intention is still very much to leave.

And finally, Cesc Fabregas is our official Player of The Season. Well done to him. He did have a fantastic season, and at the start he was unstoppable when he went on that goal scoring run. He was an inspiration to us every single game and truly deserves his award. Thank God some people have some loyalty and we can look forward to him doing the same again next season. Nice one Cesc.

Ok that’s it for today. Every Monday I think about whether we’ll come any closer to some transfers in the next 7 days; and usually I say we are. However this week I’m predicting precisely fuck all.

The players go back to training tomorrow. Yipee.