LONDON -- Arsene Wenger insists he is confident that Aaron Ramsey will sign a new contract with Arsenal, calling him "an important player for the future of the club," but hinted that the two sides are no closer to finding an agreement.
Ramsey's current deal is set to expire after next season, and while the two sides have begun negotiations there have been no signs of a breakthrough - with Jack Wilshere's contract talks perhaps a bigger priority as it runs out this summer.
There has been speculation that Ramsey could be willing to let his contract run down in order to test the market, but Wenger still believes they can strike a deal.
"Yes, I'm confident. He's not at the end of his contract, he has one and a half years to go. We are communicating," Wenger said after Ramsey underlined his importance to the team by scoring a brace in Thursday's 4-1 Europa League win over CSKA Moscow.
"On my side that is clear [that he should stay]. But you have always to find agreements. We want him to stay because he's one of the guys who has been here for a long time and will be an important player in the future for the club.
"We do not want to convince [someone to stay], we want the players to be happy to play for the club, and the players who want to stay here and play for the club [do so because of] the way we play football and with the values we think are important for us.
"And with the right amount of money we want to pay them. All the three have to be together."
Ramsey has returned to his best form in recent months after managing to stay free of the types of muscle injuries that have often interrupted his career. That may be partly because of fewer games as Wenger rotated his team heavily for cup competitions during the first half of the season. But the Arsenal boss said it's also a result of Ramsey understanding his body better, the same way a mechanic learns how to keep a car running.
"It's just [a matter of] getting to the core of the problem sometimes when you have a recurrence of an injury," Wenger said. "It's a little bit like an engine you know. A human body is a bit like a Formula One [car], you have to find out really where it matters and what you have to change.
"Sometimes it's one single movement that you have to change, and it takes time."
Ramsey's second goal against CSKA was a superb sidefooted volley over the goalkeeper after he ran onto a cross from Mesut Ozil, a finish that Wenger said was more notable for the decision-making than the technique involved.
"The technique is [achievable] for many players, but it's the decision-making that is right. He was composed, he didn't try to smash it," Wenger said.
"He just saw the keeper before, so he took information before he got the ball. And what he decided to do was because he knew where the keeper was. And that is absolutely great. And that was the most difficult in the game.
"It's not so much the technical movement, it's to make the right decision in the right moment."