Newcastle fans 'paying tribute' to Saudi owners says reporter
Aaron Ramsey will reportedly cost Everton or Newcastle £42million, even if Juventus allow him to leave on a free transfer in January. Ramsey looks set to leave Juve in the New Year following a difficult time with the Italian giants, but his colossal wage demands could become a barrier to any deal being struck.
The Wales midfielder joined Juve on a free transfer from Arsenal in the summer of 2019 and signed a four-year contract.
He has been plagued by injuries in Turin and has made just 46 starts across 70 appearances, totalling just 3,039 minutes of football.
Ramsey has started just once so far this season across five appearances and Juve are desperate to offload him at the first possible opportunity.
According to the Sunday Mirror, they are willing to let him leave for free despite there being 18 months left on his contract.
Ramsey is reportedly paid £230,000 per week by Juventus
Their stance has interested Everton and Newcastle, although his £230,000-a-week salary could well become a stumbling block.
Juventus will not be able to get rid of Ramsey unless they can find a club that are willing to match his wages and provide a contract until the summer of 2025.
That means Everton, Newcastle, or West Ham, who have also been kept informed, would have to commit to paying him £12m per year, which adds up to £42m over the next three and a half years.
While he has continued to play a key role for Wales, Ramsey has contributed just six goals and six assists for Juventus.
According to Transfermarkt, he has missed 23 games over the past two and a half years due to eight separate niggling injuries.
However, Everton manager Rafa Benitez is reportedly not put off by Ramsey’s injury history or wage demands.
The Mirror says he is the driving force behind the Toffees’ interest and that could be crucial following the recent departure of sporting director Marcel Brands.
Benitez now holds a huge amount of power in the transfer market and he is understood to be a huge fan of Ramsey.
Everton are expected to be busy in the mid-season transfer window following a rocky start to the Benitez era.
The Toffees are 13th in the Premier League ahead of their trip to face Crystal Palace on Sunday and had been on a seven-game winless run until their crucial 2-1 win over Arsenal on Monday.
Newcastle, meanwhile, are almost certain to splash the cash in January following their Saudi Arabia-funded takeover.
The Magpies are in 19th place, three points from safety, going into their match against Leicester City on Sunday afternoon.