Arsenal legend Martin Keown says Aaron Ramsey sent a "clear message" to the Arsenal board with his celebration against Fulham on Sunday, and admits he will be "immensely disappointed" if the Welshman leaves the club.
Ramsey is out of contract at the end of this season, and looks set to leave on a free transfer next summer, after the club pulled the plug on a new £200,000-per-week four-year deal last month.
The 27-year-old came off the bench to score a sublime goal in Arsenal's 5-1 win at Craven Cottage this weekend, and Keown believes that his reaction to that strike was telling.
"[He] sent a clear message as he gestured with his arms outstretched in celebration," Keown wrote in his column for The Mail. "This is what you get if you are prepared to pay the money.
"[He] could have sulked after being named as a substitute but he is not that sort of player. He entered the fray hungry to make sure Arsenal won this match."
Keown also feels that the presence of Ramsey, who signed for Arsenal a decade ago, has helped Unai Emery make a promising start to his Gunners reign.
"When you are building something, it is crucial that you hold on to your identity. This is a player who has spent a decade with Arsenal, the scorer of winning goals in two FA Cup finals.
In Pictures | Fulham vs Arsenal | 07/10/2018
"New managers need players like Ramsey who acutely understand the demands of playing for their football club."
