Arsenal: Diogo Jota the long-term Aubayang replacement

Arsenal are perusing their transfer options, and with Diogo Jota on the radar, he has to be seen as a long term Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang fix.

With the season on an indefinite pause, transfer rumors are taking center stage. Arsenal are no exception as they plan for the long-term. So much is hanging in limbo, especially with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang‘s future unlikely to be resolved until the season itself is resolved.

That’s where Diogo Jota comes into it. Jota has been a sensation at Wolverhampton (one of their many sensations) but there are hints that some of their players are looking to move up. If it can really be called that.

Aubameyang has been invaluable to Arsenal. He’s been a consistent goal-scoring threat that has been equally capable of playing at left-wing, as well as playing up front, where he actually belongs.

The same goes for Diogo Jota. And while Jota certainly doesn’t carry the same international reputation as Aubameyang, he also just hasn’t had enough time to build up that reputation yet.

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This year, Jota has scored six Premier League goals and six Europa League goals, which would make him one of the highest scorers at Arsenal. More than that, seeing as how we still have Eddie Nketiah—and Gabriel Martinelli is capable of playing striker too—versatility is the biggest thing.

And that’s one way that Jota is a natural transition from Aubameyang. Aubameyang isn’t a winger. He’s being used as one. But the creation over there comes from Bukayo Saka at leftback. Aubameyang doesn’t actually do much other than score goals. I’m not saying that to shame him, I’m just saying. That’s what he did.

Diogo Jota primarily scores goals too but he knows how to dribble, how to create, how to instigate. Because he has that winger mentality as well. The mentality that Aubameyang left behind long ago when he was still in Ligue 1.

I’m not saying that Jota will be an upgrade to Aubameyang. It’s hard to think of anyone being an upgrade on Aubameyang. But Jota will provide a natural transition into someone better suited for the role while still maintaining minimal acclimation since Jota has Premier League goal-producing experience.

It’s not a flashy signing, but for the price that Jota will go for and the return we should be getting on Aubameyang—assuming that’s how things pan out—it would be a smart, sensible investment into the future.