Arsenal: China the perfect solution to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang conundrum

According to the Times, Chinese clubs Guangzhou Evergrande and Shanghai SIPG believe they can lure Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang away from the Emirates. A Chinese transfer could be the perfect solution to the Aubameyang conundrum.

Arsenal have a striking problem. It is, on the face of it, a very good problem to have. Plenty of clubs would kill for two excellent centre-forwards that combined for more than 50 goals. But the resources that the Gunners have had to invest in the pair has unbalanced the squad, especially with the recent developments of the modern game over the past decade or so.

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The need to win the midfield battle and control the game saw almost every team sacrifice one of the two centre-forwards and field an extra central midfielder, playing with just one up top. The 4-4-2 was replaced with the 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1, the two shapes being extremely comparable to one another.

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Playing both Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the same starting XI does not really work anymore. Unai Emery tried exceptionally hard this season to fit both in, turning to a 3-5-2 shape towards the end of the year, but he simply could not find a cohesive system, despite their remarkable individual success. Now in the summer, Emery has the chance to alter his squad and shift its make-up. He may choose to move away from the two-striker set-up.

That presents a conundrum. Arsenal have two very productive and very expensive centre-forwards. Leaving one on the bench is far from ideal, while selling does not seem like a particular palatable move either. If playing two strikers is not possible, finding a solution to this problem is not easy. Perhaps, however, China could offer a potential get-out.

According to the Times, Chinese clubs Guangzhou Evergrande and Shanghai SIPG believe they can lure Aubameyang away from north London with a £300-a-week contract offer. Aubameyang almost joined Evergrande before he moved to the Emirates 18 months ago, a £62 million deal agreed upon with Borussia Dortmund. In the summer prior, a £71 million deal with Tianjin Quanjian was principally agreed though fell through as the deadline passed.

After an excellent 18 months at the Emirates, it is likely that Aubameyang’s, who will be 30 in two weeks, value is around the same ballpark. Certainly, Arsenal could expect to receive upwards of £60 million. And should the Chinese clubs make a concerted effort to sign the Gabon international, the price will only rise, which will eventually make one of the outcomes of the striking conundrum somewhat more understandable.

Although selling a Premier League Golden Boot co-winner and your top goalscorer is rarely a wise move, there comes a point where the price is too much to refuse and the remuneration of their exit makes it a worthwhile deal to conduct. Interest from China will undoubtedly help Aubameyang’s price reach that mark.

Perhaps sending Aubameyang east, then, is the solution to Arsenal’s striking conundrum. It is still not an ideal one, but it could be the best one, and solving problems is all about finding the best compromise, especially in the transfer window.