Ferguson eyes Cardiff City midfielder Aaron Ramsey as a long-term successor to Paul Scholes at Manchester United
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is leading the chase to sign £5million-rated Welsh midfielder Aaron Ramsey from FA Cup finalists Cardiff City as a long-term replacement for Paul Scholes.
Ferguson opened talks to bring the 17-year-old to Old Trafford just 24 hours after watching his side clinch the Barclays Premier League title, according to the Daily Mirror.
Ramsey is understandably supposed to be keen on the move and a deal is expected to announced after Cardiff's date at Wembley for Saturday's showpiece FA Cup final against Portsmouth.
Arsenal and Chelsea are also reportedly interested.
While I don't know much about this player, I have to say this - when we don't see a player of a calibre of Anderson being Scholes' successor while givng us the same output, I doubt it that this player will be. It's just the usual BS. "Oh, he's in the F.A Cup final, let's link him to United. Add 2-3 names at the end as well to make it more spicy!"
There are few teenage players in the country who come as highly rated as Aaron Ramsey. I've heard the stories of Sir Alex Ferguson asking about his progress; of the leading lights of the Premier League tracking him and tabling bids which start at seven figures. Sometimes young lads with big reputations don't always come up to scratch. With Ramsey, though, that is emphatically not the case.
I watched him in Cardiff's game at Wolves two weeks ago, having tried to scout him previously only to find that he didn't feature. It was well worth the effort and the wait. In fact, having seen him, even in a 3-0 defeat in which he played slightly out of position and was substituted after an hour, I would drive the length of the country to see him again.
The thing that leaps out at you from his game is his appreciation of a pass. It was second to none. When a team-mate received the ball from him, the pass almost told him where his opponent was. It had all the information on it that you would need and it was, invariably, the right ball.
His retention of possession was very good - I could not remember him giving the ball away - but we are not talking here about a player who merely chose the easy option. He was equally adept at simple five-yard passes and marvellously weighted 60-yard diagonals in behind the Wolves centre-halves, which led to scoring opportunities. He works opponents with the ball, creating little angles with his left or right foot and his quality always shone through.
He has a sixth sense telling him where his opponents are. This was reflected in his first touch and the placement of his body, which meant that even when opponents doubled up on him, he managed to escape unscathed from tight areas.
He isn't blindingly quick, nor does he have fantastic body strength but Ramsey has compensated for these shortcomings with non-stop movement. He refused to stand and admire anything he had done and, instead, was constantly alive to the next phase or the next option he could give to a team-mate.
Central midfield is his position, although against Wolves, he played on the right of a five. Such was his desire to get on the ball and make Cardiff play that he drifted inside and there were many occasions when the esteem in which his team-mates hold him was apparent. They were happy to pass the ball up to him, even when he was marked, because they knew that they were giving it to a better player.
He had no problems defensively - he chased and was not afraid to put his foot or head in where it hurt - but I prefer to concentrate on what he can do with the ball. There is an easy rhythm to his game and an awareness of how to hurt opponents with passes. There is no doubt that Ramsey has a big future and I hope that a global audience for the FA Cup final on Saturday week will have the same privilege of watching him that I did.
He sounds impressive going by what a few people have said, only 17 too. Going by what the Mirror are saying (they've done two or three stories on 'United's new signing' today) they seem to be pretty certain that it'll go through. Obviously it'd be silly to believe anything till he's in a United shirt but it looks like one of the more likely rumours.
Everton had a bid rejected earlier in the season, I think of around £1m. Liverpool and Arsenal have also made contact but his advisors want him to join United, Giggs is his hero too - apparently.
Wouldn't hurt getting him in, very highly rated and by the time Scholes and Giggs are have moved on he'll be at the right age to step into their place, if not in the starting line-up then in the squad.
Quality KMS. That was an excellent read. I havne't found anything on him on video, but I did see this article today. Some sources really do think this is a done deal.
Aaron Ramsey is set to become the next teenage Premiership sensation following his proposed transfer from Cardiff City to Manchester United. If your knowledge of the Welsh starlet is a little rusty, then let Mirror.co.uk's essential fact file fill in the gaps.
1) Cardiff first signed Aaron Ramsey as an eight year-old schoolboy after he impressed in a Welsh League of Youth tournament. They beat off competition from Newcastle for the youngster’s signature.
2) He still lives at home in Wales with his parents Marlene and Kevin, and brother Josh.
3) Ramsey has made just 15 appearances for Cardiff, the first coming as a substitute in the last minute of the final home game of 2006/07 Championship season. Cardiff lost the game 1-0 to Hull.
4) He is currently the youngest player ever to appear for Cardiff City aged just 16 years and 124 days, beating John Toshack’s previous record.
5) Ramsey made his first professional start for Cardiff in their FA Cup Third Round tie at Chasetown on January 5, 2008. Ramsey scored the second goal in their 3-1 victory and was nominated for the Player Of The Round award (eventually won by Coventry’s Michael Mifsud).
6) The midfielder scored his first league goal for Cardiff in the 3-3 draw with Burnley on April 26, 2008.
7) Ramsey made his debut for the Welsh U21 side as a second-half substitute in the 4-3 victory over Sweden on August 21st, 2007. Previously he’d captained the national U17s.
8) He’s fluent in both English and Welsh, and his all-time Welsh hero is Ryan Giggs, so he’ll be in good company at Old Trafford.
9) Cardiff turned down a £1m offer from Everton earlier this season, and other clubs including Liverpool, Arsenal and Newcastle were rumoured to be monitoring his progress. Ramsey reportedly first came onto Sir Alex Ferguson’s radar after his impressive display in Cardiff’s 2-0 FA Cup quarter-final defeat of Middlesboro.
10) Aaron Ramsey’s nickname at Cardiff is Rambo, after the Sylvester Stallone character of the same name. Premiership strikers be warned…
Quality of Posts > Quantity of Posts
There is a reason I bleed red. United until I die.
Manchester United have agreed a fee with FA Cup finalists Cardiff City for teenage sensation Aaron Ramsey.
The Champions League and Premier League winners have had an offer accepted believed to be in the region of £5m to £6m.
Cardiff also had offers from Premier League rivals Arsenal and Liverpool for the Wales Under-21 star, BBC Sport understands.
Ramsey, 17, has played just 22 games for Championship side Cardiff.
A statement on United's official website read: "Manchester United is delighted to announce it has agreed terms with Cardiff City for the transfer of Aaron Ramsey subject to terms being agreed and the player passing a medical."
Sir Alex Ferguson kept a close eye on the young prodigy since Ramsey, the most wanted man outside the Premier League, broke into the Cardiff first-team this season.
Cardiff boss Dave Jones and Ridsdale met Ferguson when Cardiff's management team travelled to Barcelona in April before United's Champions League semi-final.
Suggestions are that the Manchester United manager will loan Ramsey back to The Bluebirds next season so the player known as 'Rambo' could gain vital first-team experience.
It will be the second deal struck between the two clubs this summer when Cardiff signed United's reserve team goalkeeper Tom Heaton on a season-long loan.
Uncapped Ramsey was included in John Toshack's full Wales squad for last week's friendly double-header against Iceland and The Netherlands but did not feature.
Ramsey is touted as Ryan Giggs' heir apparent in the Wales side and the Caerphilly-born Welsh speaker is now poised to follow his idol and fellow countryman at Old Trafford.
Wales youth guru Brian Flynn has hailed Ramsey as "sensational."
Flynn told BBC Sport last week: "He has everything - temperament, attitude, ability and work-ethic - to be a top Premier League and international player for the next 15 years.
"No wonder Sir Alex Ferguson likes the look of him, he's a special talent."
Cardiff have a long-standing debt of approximately £31m and Ridsdale has admitted all of his stars, including Ramsey and star midfielder Joe Ledley, are available "at the right price."
Great news...good to see we're going for youth again. From what i saw in the FA cup final, he's quite good. He can dribble and play right across the midfield. Takes corners too and didn't seem afriad to shoot.
Ramsey would be a great signing. I watched the FA cup final just to see him play and I can definitely see this boy is quality. I hope he makes the right decision and joins United where he has a bright future waiting for him.
Fergie eyes Aaron Ramsey
Fergie eyes Aaron Ramsey -
05-13-2008, 07:22 PM
Linear Mode
