BBC Sport Wales football correspondent Rob Phillips gives his verdict on Aaron Ramsey’s return to Cardiff City.
The Aaron Ramsey signing is a no brainer for Cardiff City.
They are a club unable to pay fees or even loan payments for players under the lingering terms of the English Football League (EFL) embargo.
And yet they have landed a deal that – in the eyes of fans at the very least – could be seen as priceless.
The current Wales captain was part of his country’s golden generation. He is among the top eight in appearances for Wales and sixth in the Welsh goalscoring list.
At the age of 32 he wanted to return to the club where he kicked off a career which has seen him play top-flight football in England, Italy, Scotland and France.
And he made it happen. Ramsey was as much a driving force in this deal as the club. Clearly he could have gone for far greater riches in Saudi Arabia with which to enter the likely sunset of his career.
But, as Ramsey has made clear, the pull of a family life at “home” was a huge motivating factor in what he did next.
Unlike the Gareth Bale scenario a year ago, Ramsey is emotionally attached to the Bluebirds. As a child he grew up idolising Graham Kavanagh, a Cardiff captain and hero to their fans.
There will be those who question whether Ramsey can cope with the relentless physical grind of the Championship. For how many games will he be fit, they ask?
Yet despite a poor World Cup for him and the Wales team, his running stats were admirable in Qatar. Last season he made 44 appearances for club and country – the most games in a campaign since his final term with Arsenal in 2018-19 when he totalled 45.
Despite the drop into the Championship, Wales manager Rob Page will be happy his skipper will be playing regular club football and the second tier will hold no surprises for Ramsey, who made his club debut in the division at the age of 16 years and 124 days.
And do not underestimate the attraction and benefit – for all parties – of Ramsey having the Football Association of Wales (FAW) medical staff in the same building. Sean Connelly, the FAW’s medical service manager and lead physiotherapist, has a stellar reputation with Wales players.
The proof of Ramsey’s football value will become clear when the season gets under way.
His value as a commercial asset to Cardiff is already proven and has been since club chairman Mehmet Dalman predicted an “exciting” signing which would see season ticket sales boosted, at the unveiling of manager Erol Bulut.
Even the possibility of such a signing resulted in a run on season tickets.
There is an undeniable “buzz” among the supporters, who have had precious little to get excited about for a few years.
Ramsey is the big-name part of the rebuild at Cardiff under Bulut. Fans are both excited and intrigued by the new mix at the Bluebirds.
Bulut is untested in domestic football, having built up a decent reputation in Turkey and Greece.
And though the Wales captain won’t be able to turn things around by just being there, his arrival is undoubtedly a lift for Cardiff City.
He is a Premier League player operating in the Championship and without question lifts the quality of the squad.
Even at his age, Cardiff could not have countenanced the sort of transfer fee he would still command. Ramsey, however, has arrived on a free transfer.
Bulut’s appointment may be seen as a gamble. Ramsey’s presence is anything but.
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