“He was 28 when they bought him, so why would they have not put him on a four-year contract and not be under pressure 18 months into the contract as a matter of course? It’s bad thinking, bad management and bad planning.

“So Paul’s point of view about keeping him in place for another year isn’t going to happen.

“Arsenal are not going to sit there and just allow this boy to do what Aaron Ramsey did.

“He’s a £60m player, in their view, he’s a top player.”