Aaron Ramsey chooses Cardiff over Saudi Arabia’s lucrative deal.
Aaron Ramsey is reportedly planning to decline a substantial financial offer from Saudi Arabia in order to make a return to his childhood club, Cardiff City. The 32-year-old midfielder began his youth career with the Bluebirds before departing in 2008 to join Arsenal, where he established himself as a club legend over 11 years of service. Currently playing for Ligue 1 side Nice, Ramsey is said to be considering his next career move outside of France.
The Welshman is expected to reject a lucrative deal in the Saudi Pro League to once again represent Cardiff City in the Championship. Although Ramsey carefully considered the possibility of a move to the Middle East, he ultimately decided to return to his roots. He emphasized that his next move would be a family decision, and with his relatives residing in south Wales, choosing Cardiff over a foreign option makes sense.
Ramsey met with Erol Bulu after Wales’ surprising 4-2 defeat to Armenia last month. Previously, Ramsey had a brief loan spell with Cardiff in 2011 after suffering a leg injury while playing for Arsenal.
While Nice announced on Monday that they expect Ramsey to join preseason training next week, it is believed that the Wales captain is negotiating an exit from his contract. Although an automatic 12-month extension was triggered after reaching a set number of appearances last season, Ramsey has been unable to secure a new long-term deal.
Cardiff finished 21st in the Championship last season, and they face a tough challenge to maintain their status in the English pyramid’s second tier in the upcoming campaign. Following his time at Arsenal, Ramsey moved to Juventus and had a loan stint with Rangers in 2022 before playing for Nice in the most recent season.