Unai Emery plays down Aaron Ramsey's importance to Arsenal as contract talks break down

Ramsey's contract expires at the end of the season and talks have broken down over a new deal

Unai Emery insists Aaron Ramsey is no more important than anyone else in his Arsenal squad.

The Wales midfielder could leave the Emirates Stadium in January or at the end of the campaign when his current deal expires after talks on a new four-year contract broke down.

“For me, every player is very important with their relation with the team,” said Emery when asked directly on how vital a part of the side Ramsey is. “I considered each player, his space, an important space in the squad.”

Emery failed to offer any insight into Ramsey’s transfer situation insisting his focus was instead on his side’s match against Watford on Saturday.

There are three elements, three aspects,” he said. “One is the player and also the player with their family and representatives. The other is the club and the other is the squad. My focus is always on the team.

“My focus is preparing with the players and only thinking about the match tomorrow. Each player has individual aspects to work or to do or to speak with the club or with the team, but my aspect for the focus, only to think, is the matches and preparing for the matches and to speak with the players if they are thinking and are very concentrated on work for giving us the best performance and to help the collective performance.”

Arsenal go into the match on a run of four straight league wins and six victories in a row in all competitions but Emery acknowledges that it will be difficult against Watford, whose training ground is right next door in London Colney.

Aaron Ramsey is yet to sign a new deal (Arsenal FC via Getty)

“I think and I work with my mentality looking to help better the moment,” he said. “After the first two games we are getting better but we also need challenges in the field.

“With difficult matches like Watford the Premier League is the best league for us because it can give us performances over 38 matches.”

Watford captain Troy Deeney criticised Arsenal’s lack of being able to fight physically and question their lack of “cojones” last season.

“It is a big match and a rival match tomorrow and they want to win us with good things tactically and good things individually against us we know we need tomorrow to play and to win individual duels on the pitch for step by step in the 90 minutes,” said Emery.

“We can impose our idea and job and our physical moment on the pitch they are with duel a very hard team.

“This match gives us the opportunity to take more confidence. We are winning. I think the confidence is the best on our individual players and also our collective work every match is one challenge to show and to give to find our best moment, our best performance and each player is thinking well but also I am thinking good.

“My first idea is to be very demanding of myself and ourselves to have the best preparation individually, and if they are playing well we will continue to give them chances, but keep thinking about our performance. We need to think to win each match.”

Emery was also quick to praise his opposite number Javi Gracia, a fellow Spaniard.

“Maybe here he is not known a lot but he is a very respected coach in Spain and a competitive coach,” he said. “His teams are nice, he is improving with the best players. I like the quality players they have. I watch all 90 minutes and think I can learn from Javi Gracia.

“He is improving and he is growing up in football with this mentality. He’s very competitive and here, I think Watford is starting the season very well because they are playing very well.”