Gareth Bale inspiration, Aaron Ramsey comparisons – Who is Arsenal transfer target Rubin Colwill?

Arsenal are reportedly one of the Premier League clubs that are keeping tabs on Cardiff City attacking midfielder Rubin Colwill ahead of the summer transfer window.

The 22-year-old from Neath, South Wales, is a product of the Bluebirds’ academy and broke into the first-team picture in 2021. Despite being at the beginning of his career, Colwill has already made 106 appearances for Cardiff and has earned eight caps for the Welsh senior team.

This season, Colwill has made 35 appearances in the Championship but has only played the full 90 minutes on two occasions. However, his potential is there for many to see and it appears Mikel Arteta is keen to snap him up before Arsenal’s rivals do.

Football.london You have taken a closer look at who Colwill is and what has been said about him.

Bale inspiration

Having broken into the senior Wales set-up in 2021, Colwill spent some time with former Tottenham Hotspur and Real Madrid winger Gareth Bale. After playing alongside Bale in an international back in 2022, Colwill spoke deeply of the Welsh legend.

“He’s an inspiration for all of us,” Colwill said. “The success he’s had in his career. For him to still be doing that stuff now is incredible.

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“It’s a tough job for anyone to fill those boots. We’ll try our best.”

Speaking further on Bale in 2021, Colwill told WalesOnline: “He’s just so good. He is unbelievable.

“Just the way he plays and getting to train with him and seeing what the things he does, you just take so much in without even realizing. The way he moves, the areas he picks up, what he does with the ball. There is no one better to learn off than the best player in the world and he is one of them.”

Ramsey comparisons

If Arsenal were to capture Colwill, it would not be the first time they have plucked a talent from Cardiff. Aaron Ramsey joined the Gunners in 2008 and at the beginning of this season, he returned to South Wales after a spell at Ligue 1 side Nice.

Discussing Arsenal’s interest in Colwill, journalist Paul Abbandonato compared the approach to that which Arsene Wenger made for Ramsey all those years ago. He wrote: “Told a couple of weeks back Arsenal are keeping close tabs on Colwill.

“Seems others are interested too. Reminded me of when the previous regime sold Ramsey for just £5m, among the worst bits of Welsh footie transfer business.

“Swansea got 3 times that for [Joe] Allen, who wasn’t at Aaron’s level.”

What his manager has said

Cardiff boss Erol Bulut addressed interest in Colwill during his pre-match press conference on Thursday. He said: “When I saw Rubin in pre-season, how he was on the field and where he is right now, I think there’s a big step. A big, big step.

“Now he’s the target of many Premier League clubs. I didn’t say that we would let him leave! I just said he was a target of many Premier League clubs.

“It doesn’t surprise me because I knew at the start of the season that he can be much better. He worked hard on it, he listened to us and I still believe he can do much more.

“He is running everywhere, he wants to make everything happen. Sometimes you have to handle that better and he will then look much, much better and he will be at that level and then we cannot hold him to be here.”