Arsenal and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang: Wants vs needs

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyan wants to stay at Arsenal, but as we’ve learned, there’s always a difference between what someone wants and what they get.

In an interview with Arsenal.com, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang spoke about how happy he was at the club, how much he loved Arsenal and how much he’d like to stay. He feels he has a real bond with the fans. It’s something we see all the time. He is the most universally accepted member of this squad.

But just because all of that lines up, just because he wants to be here, doesn’t mean he will be next year. There is a clear distinction between wanting to do something and actually doing it.

According to the reports, the big hang-ups for Aubameyang are wages and Champions League football. Mikel Arteta himself has admitted that it will be tough to keep hold of guys like Aubameyang if we don’t make it into the top five.

Aubameyang is also seeking wages of around £300,000. Considering that Mesut Ozil is currently on £350,000, that’s not so great an ask, but seeing how it handcuffed Arsenal when guys like Aaron Ramsey skedaddled, we wouldn’t want to end up in a similar situation.

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These are two really big obstacles between what Aubameyang wants and what Aubameyang gets. But it is important to draw the distinction that if Aubameyang does leave, he’s not a liar or anything. He could still want to be at Arsenal even as he’s being sold to a club in the Champions League that can afford those kinds of wages.

Just as Cesc Fabregas. That dude always wanted to be at the Emirates, he just never made it back.

Right now, this has everything to do with the club and every little to do with Aubameyang. In order to get Aubameyang what he wants, the club has to achieve the things that are required to satisfy the subcategories under those wants. Essentially, whatever Aubameyang wants doesn’t matter right now. What matters is the club’s ability to meet his needs.

Part of that need is going to come down to finding a suitor for Mesut Ozil because we can’t afford both of those wages. Not even close.

In the meantime, we still have Aubameyang for another couple of months. Whatever happens after that, it’s been an absolute joy having him here and I look forward to what comes next, with or without the backflipping mad man.