Ramsey can fill Fabregas boots, says Sagna

Arsenal defender Bacary Sagna has tipped Aaron Ramsey to have a big impact at the club following the exit of Cesc Fabregas.

Former Gunners captain Fabregas departed for childhood club Barcelona on Monday for a fee reportedly to be initially worth 29 million euros, raising doubts on how Arsenal will deal without his quality in midfield.

But Ramsey starred in the English Premier League club’s 1-0 first-leg victory against Udinese in Champions League qualifying on Tuesday, and Sagna believes that he has seen enough from the former Cardiff City player to convince him that Fabregas’ boots can be filled.

“Every season we start a season and some players leave at the end of it. That’s what happens and I just want to wish him (Fabregas) good luck,” Sagna said.

“I will miss him of course but Aaron Ramsey did very well and he will show he is a great player as well.”

Ramsey’s career was progressing well after breaking into the first-team at Arsenal and with Wales, but he has had to regain his place in the side after suffering a broken leg against Stoke City in February 2010.

Sagna also hailed Arsenal’s 1-0 win over Serie A club Udinese at the Emirates, and was pleased his side has been able to keep clean sheets in the first two games of the season.

“It was the goal of the night – to score without conceding,” he said. “It was not easy because they had many opportunities to score but we won the game so now we need to look forward.”?

“We knew Udinese from before, the Italian league is quite tough and if you let them play they can be dangerous. But from the game against Newcastle (on Saturday) and (on Tuesday) again we did not concede a goal. We know if we want to be successful we have to defend as a team as we did tonight and keep playing.”?

“But we are all united for the same goal and we showed we have a great team spirit.”