Aaron Ramsey agrees new £90,000-a-week Arsenal contract; ...returns to training

According to SportsMail, Aaron Ramsey is set to hand Arsenal a double boost by returning to training on Thursday after agreeing a new £90,000-a-week contract.

Ramsey will initially take part in light training outdoors before building up to full contact training next week as he prepares for his comeback from injury.

Arsene Wenger wants the midfielder to play some part in the north London derby against Tottenham on Sunday week but is keen Ramsey is not rushed back to the team and suffers any more setbacks in his recovery from the thigh injury that has kept him out since late December.

The Welshman’s impending return comes as he prepares to sign a bumper new deal as a reward for his outstanding performances in the 15 months since penning his last agreement.

The 23-year-old has agreed the terms of an improved contract that will lift his salary to £90,000-a-week, bringing it in line with fellow British stars Jack Wilshere and Theo Walcott. Ramsey’s current deal runs until 2018 and is worth £60,000-a-week.

Ramsey was given the all-clear to step up his rehabilitation programme last month after returning from a week’s warm-weather training in Dubai.

The midfielder, arguably Arsenal’s outstanding player in the first half of the season, has been sidelined since Boxing Day with a thigh problem, which he aggravated when he returned to full training at the end of January.

Ramsey is now targeting a mid-March return, which would be nearly three months after he last featured for the team.