Lazio want to sign Aaron Ramsey to replace Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, according to reports in Italy, but the Welshman’s wage demands should prove a major stumbling block.

Corriere dello Sport report that Ramsey could be Lazio’s ‘Mister X’, and the man to reinforce their side in the case of the departure of their current star midfielder.

Arsenal’s Player of the Season only has a year left on his contract with the club, and the manager who brought him to London has finally moved on. As a result, it’s looking more likely than ever that the 27-year-old might be on the way out.

However, the Lazio links fall apart somewhat when you look into their current wage structure.

According to various reports, Ramsey wants £200,000-a-week, which adds up to £10.4m-a-year. Lazio’s highest paid player is Lucas Leiva, on €2.5m-a-year (£2.2m).

That figure is net of tax, meaning the difference isn’t quite as stark as it appears. Nonetheless, you could likely pay the club’s top three earners with the amount Ramsey wants. There’s no way selling Milinkovic-Savic would free up enough space on the wage bill, as he’s only on €1.5m-a-year (£1.32m).

That’s before we even get onto why Ramsey would want to leave to join another club struggling to get into the Champions League, with no hope of a title challenge. I can’t see this one happening.