New Balance look set to lose Aaron Ramsey as the Arsenal Midfielder laced up in a blacked out pair of boots against Bayern Munich to spark speculation that his three-year relationship with the brand has come to an end.
Ramsey had been wearing the blacked out boots in training ahead of the game, perhaps signalling he was testing a next-generation New Balance boot, but the fact he continued to wear them in competitive action could mean a couple of reasons. The first being that Ramsey loved the New Balance prototypes so much he wanted to wear them in his next game. The second, and more likely reason could be that Ramsey's contract with New Balance is over and he's blacked out his modified Visaro 2.0 boots whilst he decides on his next move.
The exit door has certainly been spinning quicker than the entrance door at New Balance in recent months, suggesting it's the season for their contract renewal discussions to begin. Furon player Alvaro Negredo has been wearing a blacked edition of the boot in recent weeks and Manchester United's Marouane Fellaini has ditched the Visaro in favour of the Nike Tiempo Legend 6. Could Ramsey be the latest name to part ways with the brand? If so, then New Balance have a large slice of their playing budget available to make their next move, as Ramsey was expected to be the highest earning New Balance footballer.
What do you reckon? Drop your thoughts below.
