Arsenal: Selling Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang a natural solution

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is stalling on a new contract and entering the latter stages of his career. For Arsenal, selling is the only natural solution.

We have been here before: an Arsenal star running down their contracts as the club slips into mediocrity, justifiably holding the team to ransom, an impasse reached in negotiations and a decision needing to be made.

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Invariably, the Gunners have made the wrong choice. For Robin van Persie, it was selling him to a direct rival. For Aaron Ramsey, it was letting him leave for nothing. For Mesut Ozil, it was agreeing to a new bumper contract that he has since failed to justify. For Alexis Sanchez, it was failing to sell when the opportunity arose, eventually settling for a cut-price deal.

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In all of these situations, Arsenal mismanaged an already mismanaged cock-up. The players should not have been allowed to run down their contracts towards and eventually into their final year in the first place. But once they had been, the club was indecisive and ill-advised in how they moved forward. In fact, if you are looking for one player with a running-down contract who was managed successfully, look no further than Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

The now Liverpool midfielder was not going to sign a new deal. While Arsene Wenger undoubtedly wanted to keep him, believing in both his natural talent and importance to the team, Chamberlain was keen to leave for the betterment of his career. With a year left on his contract, he forced the club to make a decision. So Arsenal chose to sell, eventually agreeing on a £35 million deal with Liverpool. While it was sad to see a player of Chamberlain’s ability depart, the fee softened the blow somewhat.

As is seemingly an annual routine with this wretched north London outfit, there is now another star player running down his contract. Top scorer and key centre-forward, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, is now in the final two years of his deal and has stalled discussions regarding an extension.

Aubameyang is wisely — and justifiably — waiting for a new head coach to be appointed, while also determining whether Champions League football is likely to return to the Emirates any time soon. A player of Aubameyang’s calibre should not be consigned to the Europa League, as he has been for the past two years.

It has now been reported by Duncan Castles that Real Madrid are considering a transfer for Aubameyang, with young striker Luka Jovic, who was only signed six months ago, allegedly on the chopping block. Arsenal should be willing to negotiate. In fact, if Aubameyang is unwilling to sign a new deal, as is looking increasingly like the case, they should be actively looking to sell.

History has proven that selling is the only solution to a contract impasse, no matter how brilliant the player may be. If Arsenal can ‘swap’ Aubameyang for a hugely talented 21-year-old replacement, that is not an opportunity that should be passed on. Selling is the natural answer, however difficult that may seem.