Last updated: 10th June 2008
In-demand teenager Aaron Ramsey has told Cardiff City that he wants to join Arsenal.
Cardiff have accepted £5million bids from Arsenal and Premier League rivals Manchester United and Everton.
The winger has held talks with all three clubs and has now decided upon a move to Emirates Stadium, having flown out to Switzerland to meet Gunners boss Arsene Wenger.
A statement on Cardiff's official website read: "Cardiff City were informed on Friday morning that Aaron Ramsey's preferred destination this summer is at Emirates Stadium with Arsenal.
"We will now continue the dialogue with the Gunners with a view to Aaron's move being completed.
"The move unlike other options, however, does not include a loan back period at Ninian Park for the 2008/09 season."
Reports have claimed that Cardiff boss Dave Jones, and chairman Peter Ridsdale, were keen for Ramsey to join United as the Premier League champions were willing to agree a loan deal for next season.
However, Arsenal have put up the most persuasive argument for Ramsey and will now try to finalise a deal with Cardiff.
The 17-year-old has become one of the hottest properties in British football after a promising second half to last season, which culminated in a substitute's appearance in the FA Cup Final against Portsmouth.

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| Time | Fixture |
|---|---|
| Saturday 20th March | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 12:45 | Aston Villa vs Wolverhampton |
| 15:00 | Everton vs Bolton |
| 15:00 | Portsmouth vs Hull |
| 15:00 | Stoke vs Tottenham |
| 15:00 | Sunderland vs Birmingham |
| 15:00 | Wigan vs Burnley |
| 17:30 | Arsenal vs West Ham |
| Sunday 21st March | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 13:30 | Man Utd vs Liverpool |
| 15:00 | Fulham vs Man City |
| 16:00 | Blackburn vs Chelsea |
| Tuesday 23rd March | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 20:00 | West Ham vs Wolverhampton |
| Wednesday 24th March | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 19:45 | Aston Villa vs Sunderland |
| 19:45 | Man City vs Everton |
| 19:45 | Portsmouth vs Chelsea |
| 20:00 | Blackburn vs Birmingham |
| Saturday 27th March | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 15:00 | Birmingham vs Arsenal |
| 15:00 | Chelsea vs Aston Villa |
| 15:00 | Hull vs Fulham |
| 15:00 | Tottenham vs Portsmouth |
| 15:00 | West Ham vs Stoke |
| Time | Result |
|---|---|
| Tuesday 16th March | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Wigan 1 - 2 Aston Villa | |
| Monday 15th March | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Liverpool 4 - 1 Portsmouth | |
| Sunday 14th March | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Man Utd 3 - 0 Fulham | |
| Sunderland 1 - 1 Man City | |
| Saturday 13th March | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Tottenham 3 - 1 Blackburn | |
| Bolton 4 - 0 Wigan | |
| Birmingham 2 - 2 Everton | |
| Stoke 0 - 0 Aston Villa | |
| Chelsea 4 - 1 West Ham | |
| Burnley 1 - 2 Wolverhampton | |
| Hull 1 - 2 Arsenal | |
| Wednesday 10th March | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Burnley 1 - 1 Stoke | |
| Tuesday 9th March | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Sunderland 4 - 0 Bolton | |
| Portsmouth 1 - 2 Birmingham | |
| Monday 8th March | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Wigan 1 - 0 Liverpool | |
| Sunday 7th March | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Everton 5 - 1 Hull | |
| Saturday 6th March | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Arsenal 3 - 1 Burnley | |
| West Ham 1 - 2 Bolton | |
| Wolverhampton 0 - 1 Man Utd | |
| Sunday 28th February | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Tottenham 2 - 1 Everton | |
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Preston are hoping Manchester United will allow Matt James to join them on a permanent deal.
Comments (14)
Grant Sales (Arsenal fan) says...
It's quite amusing how Arsenal fans are saying he'll do well and Man Utd and Everton fans saying he would do better at their club. My personal thought is that is if he is going to train everyday with the likes of Fabregas and Van Persie then, yes he could be very good. Of course, you could say the same about training with Rooney and Scholes, Cahill and Arteta etc etc. He's made his decision, only time will tell if it was a good one.
Posted 21:11 10th June 2008
Shaun Logan (Manchester United fan) says...
once again another young talent turns down the chance to join the greatest club in the world,why would he join a team like arsenal who are full of foreigners where he could have been with his hero ryan giggs at old trafford,play infront of 75,000 fans a week,be away from the life that london can do to a young talented footballer eg.paul gascoine,and to work with sir alex ferguson whos brought up more british talent than any other manager??? silly move,he'll probably regret it, oh and not to forget the European Champions and 2years running premiership champions... doesnt make sense
Posted 21:08 10th June 2008
Matthew Slam (Arsenal fan) says...
Clearly all the Man U fans and Everton fans are bitter cause he chose the best club for young talent. Wenger creates stars he doen's buy them, we may at the moment not be reaping in the silverware but Wengers plans are for the future. Watch next season Arsenal will only improve in all aspects of the game. I don't know why Everton supporters are adding their 2 cents cause I really can't remember the last time they won anything decent... Ramsey made the right choice and will one day find himself in the league of Henry and the millions of other stars Wenger moulded! Best of luck for next season.
Posted 21:03 10th June 2008
Neal Harding (Arsenal fan) says...
I dont understand these silly united fans saying he wont do anything at the arsenal. he came to us because he knows if he goes to united fergy will go and spend silly money every summer on so called 'big names/players' and he will get knocked down the pecking order. name me another manager who has put faith in young players like mr wenger and they have flurished. henry, anelka, bergkamp, theo, bentley, cilchy the list goes on.......
Posted 17:49 10th June 2008
Ian Morrissey (Manchester United fan) says...
Does anyone seriously believe Wenger surpasses Fergie in raising young talent?? I believe Arsene Wenger has a fantastic eye for talent, no doubt about it. However, when it comes to developing it - eh? Wenger gives his players belief, but not the ability to play football as an individual working in a team. Wenger makes his players play the same football - that's not harbouring talent, that's stagnating talent. Arsenal fans may take a different view, but my view is that this stagnation of talent is the reason they've not won anything worthwhile for years now and will continue not to do so under his reign. Ramsey is simply a preperation of Wenger's for Blatter's proposal. Why Ramsey? Because he's not English, Wenger can't raise English players. Summarised - I think Wenger's taken Arsenal a long, long way. However - I think he's taken them as far as he can now. It's about time they brought someone in who shows loyalty to his older (and more loyal) players and who can further the individual talent of a footballer whilst still maintaining his ability to play as a unit. Ramsey will regret it, but it's his choice ultimately.
Posted 17:48 10th June 2008
Zach Sinclair (Everton fan) says...
JOKES does he realise that he will be ruined by Wenger, how many british players as he had and abandoned for foreigners like Fabregas!!!! does Ramsey fancy being the next Pennant? siting on the bench for a mediocre club with no ambition! He will not get a look in, and will waste away for a few years and his potential will be gone! Wenger even manged to ruin Walcott! Ramsey will sit in the shadow of many of Arsene's foreign favourites and then move on in a few years and becoming distinctly average!!!
Posted 17:18 10th June 2008
Bradley Gordon (Arsenal fan) says...
Why does everone think ramsey made the wrong decision...espcecially the man u fans. i think u are a lil bit bitter. alex fergerson has not brought up any english talent from the manchester united system for quite some time now. he sold kerien richardson,phil bardsley and he will with frazier campbell, and also i have not seen a first team apperacne form chris eagles in ages. so well done aaron ramsey u made th right decision joining arsenal. good young talent now.... ramsey,walcott,denilson,song,armand traore,vela - list goes on and on keep them coming in wenger!!
Posted 17:18 10th June 2008
Wayne Williams (Cardiff City fan) says...
The boy must be mad.Anyone who watched Wenger being interviewed last season cannot forget his "conspiracy" rants-it's not just the league he lost. Only reason for Ramsey going there is because they are going to keep him and not lend him back to the City, oh and they took him on an aeroplane-big deal!!.He wont make a dozen appearances next season whereas he would have played most weeks at Cardiff before moving on to Everton or United and improved for it. Silly boy.
Posted 14:18 10th June 2008
Sim Patel says...
Best place for him! Arsene knows how to develop talent he will get the most benefit from being at the emirates! unlike joining united who like to buy the talent instead of wanting to create the perfect player for the team.
Posted 14:02 10th June 2008
Sam Benjamin (Manchester United fan) says...
I think Ramsey's wrong to choose Arsenal over Man U. Theo Walcott is a prime example. Arsene will probably overlook him at first and go with his trusted international players instead, Walcott had all the hype around him and is only now getting noticed. At least at Man U he would've been able to go back to Cardiff to get the experience he needs for the first team. id will live to regret it.
Posted 13:59 10th June 2008
Tom Des forges (Manchester United fan) says...
He's made a big mistake. I can't believe he has had the choice of playing with the best players in the world or bitter gooners, and he has chosen the bitter gooners. Wenger will most likely make him into a horrible player within a season. There is no loyalty at Arsenal and no passion. Mr Ramsey i am dissapointed! Not to worry anyway, we will be champions three times in a row no matter what happens!
Posted 13:36 10th June 2008
Ryan Axe says...
What a mug.... Brittish players just don;t flourish at Arsenal, look how long it is taking Walcott, who was 'The Next Rooney'. Look at David Bently, a player now tipped to overtake Beckham on the right for England, yet cast aside to Blackburn a few years back for pennies in todays market. Probably the worst choise he could have made, as he would have seen more football at Everton, and Alex Ferguson is the master at turning potential into the real thing... look at Ronaldo. It seems to me Arsenal were a glamorous team who wanted him at the club now, so he went there, United were going to loan him back to Cardiff to gain more experience. He can become another brittish talent wasting his time on the Emirates bench.
Posted 13:28 10th June 2008
Jay King (Manchester United fan) says...
Bad Move for the boy if he moves to Arsenal. I know the 6+5 rule is planned however look at Arsenal's record for bringing through homegrown talent. Probably the worst in the prem. Would have been better off at Man U.
Posted 13:28 10th June 2008
Arthur Forrester (Manchester United fan) says...
Can Aaron seriously believe that Arsene is better than Fergie at progressing young British talent?Bad move son but (genuinely) best of luck.
Posted 12:56 10th June 2008