Arsenal Open to Offers for Aubameyang but a Move Looks Unlikely

Aubameyang captaincy, Arsenal, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

Arsenal are open to offers for their talisman Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, according to reports.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is undoubtedly a world-class striker, but he has been slightly off the boil for the past 18 months at Arsenal. The Gabonese forward netted just 10 Premier League goals last season, and at the age of 32, it’s hard to see him kicking on and shifting gears to put on a performance.

He was awarded the Premier League Golden Boot in his first season at Arsenal. However, Aubameyang’s form in the league is of grave concern for boss Mikel Arteta as the Gunners hierarchy no longer consider him indispensable.

With several factors lingering such as Malaria, family issues and now Covid-19, it is difficult for any player to immediately find back the perfect form suited for English football. However, he needs to act fast if at all he hopes to survive the physicality and demands of the Premier League.

Aubameyang, Arsenal — (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

There has been a decline in his statistics since the moment he signed a new contract with Arsenal last summer. The player is understood to be part of Mikel Arteta’s squad rebuild but could be sold if an acceptable offer arrives on the table.

Now, according to The Telegraph, Arsenal will be willing to sell Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang if the right offer is tabled. However, the report stated that his mammoth wages of £350,000-per-week are a crucial factor that any club would have to keep in mind before going for a bid.

Arsenal, who are willing to offload players before the window slams shut, view the situation as an opportunity in crisis. Getting players off their wage bills would significantly increase their chances of getting fresh faces in areas they desperately need to improve.

However, as we approach the last few hours of the transfer window, a transfer away looks highly unlikely. The same has been reiterated by Football London journalist Chris Wheatley who said that Aubameyang has no intention of leaving Arsenal.

Aubameyang and Lacazette look set to stay at Arsenal unless an 'astronomical' offer comes in.

[@ChrisWheatley_]#AFC #DeadlineDay pic.twitter.com/WTDhmvhYMG

— AFTV (@AFTVMedia) August 31, 2021

Arsenal’s transfer window has been heavily criticised by the fans on social media, but Arteta seems to be confident of positive results. The Gunners have spent the most than any other Premier League club in the window but hardly seem to have an improved squad than before. The arrival of Odegaard, Ramsdale, Tavares, Lokonga, and Ben White have still not solved two crucial areas – right-back and centre-forward.

Barcelona have kept an eye on the Aubameyang situation with Ronald Koeman desperate to add quality players in his armoury. However, the massive wage bill of Aubameyang could be an issue for the Catalan giants as they are in the midst of a financial crisis.

An ideal solution that Koeman might opt for would be a straight swap with ex-Liverpool star Phillipe Coutinho, who could be used as a makeweight in the Aubameyang deal. But selling your club’s captain in a crucial part of the season, for a player that’s not even in his prime form, is preposterous.

Arteta is already under scrutiny, following a nightmare start in the Premier League – three defeats in three games. The Spaniard seems to have his job on the line if he does not produce results anytime soon.

The final few days of the window come amid mounting pressure on Arteta after he received a lot of stick from angry Arsenal fans who told him to ‘leave our club’ and blocked his car from leaving the Emirates Stadium. With the ‘Arteta Out’ slogans ringing across social media and the stadium following the defeat against Chelsea, it is only a matter of time until the Arsenal hierarchy have a say in this matter.

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