Leeds United’s early Championship opponents sign ex-Arsenal, Rangers and Nottingham Forest star on two-year deal

Cardiff City have signed former Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey on a two-year deal ahead of next month’s Championship opener against Leeds United.

The Whites welcome the Welsh outfit to Elland Road on August 6 for their first league game of the 2023-24 season, with Ramsey likely to line-up for the visitors next month.

The Welsh international started his career with the Bluebirds before moving to Arsenal, where he won the FA Cup three times and made 369 appearances for the North London club.

He spent time on loan at Cardiff and Nottingham Forest during his time with the Gunners before leaving for Juventus in 2019 where he won a Serie A title and the Coppa Italia. Ramsey spent time on loan with Rangers before joining Nice on a free transfer last summer.

The 32-year-old has now returned to Cardiff on a free transfer after mutually terminating his contract with Nice.

Of his move to Cardiff he said: “It feels unbelievable to finally be back here. I always thought one day I’d come back, and now it’s the perfect time to do that. To be back with my family and around familiar faces is just brilliant, so I’m delighted to be back here now. I’ve missed that a lot in the last year or so, so it was important for me to be back around them.

“Obviously I’m a Cardiff City fan, and watching them over the years since I’ve been away, we’ve had some low points but some big highs as well, being in the Premier League and representing Cardiff on the big stage. That’s a target of mine - to try and help my teammates and this club to get back to the top.

“I’ve said it many times in the past - I owe so much to Cardiff, to the fans, to everybody who has been at the Club when I was here as a young boy coming through. For me now to come full circle, to be part of this team now, and hopefully achieve the goals we want, there’s no better feeling than that.”

Cardiff manager Erol Bulut added: “This is, of course, a great day. Aaron started here, and now he is back to help us to achieve our targets. First of all I want to thank Tan Sri Vincent Tan for making everything possible. Also, our Chairman, Mehmet Dalman, and Ken Choo. They have worked very hard over the last two or three weeks.

“Aaron has had a great career. In the Premier League, then Italy and France, and now back home in Cardiff. I hope his last years with us will be great too, and I hope we can make our dreams come true.”