Arsenal are concerned that Aaron Ramsey is planning to take a leaf out of Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Özil’s playbook by running his contract down.

Ramsey’s current deal with the club expires in 2019, and The Times [£] claim that Arsenal think the Welshman isn’t planning to sign an extension any time soon.

Instead, he could try and back his employers into a corner to get a huge pay rise like Ozil or a move, like Alexis.

The 27-year-old is currently earning about £110,000-a-week. Arsenal’s January signings are on £170,000-a-week, and it seems Ramsey considers himself in the same bracket, in terms of importance to the side.

What’s more, Özil got a pay rise to £350,000-a-week, as the club grew desperate to keep him. The German was in the final six months of his contract, and Arsenal had already let Sanchez go to Manchester United for the same reason.

They’ve laid out the blueprint for Ramsey to take advantage of them, and it’s not hard to follow.

If the midfielder wants a move to a rival, all he has to do is threaten to move on a free transfer. Then, Arsenal either sell this summer or risk losing him for free along with a season of intense speculation.

The only way for the club to avoid that is to make Ramsey a financial offer he can’t refuse.

If the former Cardiff City man just wants more money, the same tactic of threatening a move should, therefore, work just as well.

I don’t think Ramsey quite has the leverage of an Özil or Sanchez, but he’s definitely not someone Arsenal want to lose.

This season he has six goals and eights assists from just 20 appearances in all competitions.

Unfortunately, it seems we’re set for yet another contract saga in the coming months in addition to Jack Wilshere’s and Arsene Wenger’s.