How Wenger Out-Flanked Fergie For Ramsey

The South Wales Echo has revealed that Cardiff City youngster Aaron Ramsey opted for Arsenal ahead of Manchester United because if the persuasiveness of Arsene Wenger's arguments.

The newspaper said one of Wenger's telling points was that Ramsey's route to first-team football at Manchester United would be blocked by nine players.

The Echo reports today that after flying Ramsey and his parents by private jet to Switzerland last Saturday, Wenger spelt out the Cardiff teenager’s prospects with the Gunners during a "two-hour, no-holds barred question-and-answer session over dinner."

Wenger is said to have pointed out that Ramsey’s would find it tougher to make the first-team at Old Trafford than at the Emirates with so many household names like Cristiano Ronaldo, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Michael Carrick, Owen Hargreaves, Darren Fletcher, Ji-Sung Park, Anderson, and Nani blocking his way.

At Arsenal, in contrast, path is less cluttered, especially as Mathieu Flamini has left and Alexander Hleb seems likely to.

Another key factor Wenger highlighted to the Ramsey family was that United have splashed out around £300million on transfers in the last six years, while Arsenal in the same period have spent a more modest £40million.

And Wenger reportedly convinced Ramsey that his style and football technique is better suited to Arsenal - an argument which apparently swung things the Gunners' way.

The Echo says it understand that United manager Sir Alex Ferguson spoke to Ramsey’s parents more than 10 times on the telephone during the last few weeks to try and persuade the Bluebird to go to join the champions.

It says the Ramseys met Everton manager David Moyes last Thursday, and were then shown around at United by first-team coach Mike Phelan on Friday.

The following afternoon they flew to Switzerland from Luton Airport to meet Wenger, who is attending Euro 2008 - and their meeting wirh the Frenchman was the clincher.

According tothe Echo, Ramsey will now settle in London, and will be living in the same apartment complex as his best friend  Chris Gunter, the former Cardiff City defender who is now at Arsenal’s arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

Mark Hinton, Goal.com