Arsenal eye huge Aubameyang transfer exit

The question of whether anyone missed Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Friday’s lineup is a crucial one. Any team, anywhere in the world should miss not having their captain. Many of an Arsenal affiliation wouldn’t have.

Aubameyang and Lacazette not being in the squad that fell to a 2-0 loss against Brentford weren’t the most telling absences. Arsenal bemoaned the presences of Gabriel in defence and Thomas Partey in midfield considerably more.

That can’t be framed in a positive way. The highest paid player at the club, the supposed leader of the team and the man bestowed with the responsibility of putting the ball in the back of the net should be missed.

Folarin Balogun’s inexperience showed and Aubameyang not being there was to the Gunners’ detriment, but did anyone actually miss him? Y’know, wish he was there instead of Flo apart from reasons relating to quality?

Arsenal eye huge Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang transfer exit as Mikel Arteta seeks Tammy Abraham purchase in striker overhaul

It appears Mikel Arteta feels similar.

As per The Times, Arsenal are willing to offload Aubameyang and Lacazette this summer. Not one or the other, but both.

Given the wages the pair are on, it would open up huge potential to make changes within the squad. It’s added that Arsenal are happy to pay Tammy Abraham £125k-per-week in wages to lure him to the Emirates from Chelsea, so long as the Blues agree to it. As it stands, his head appears to have been turned by Roma.

Is any of this surprising? Not at all.

After the season he just had, mitigating factors are starting to dry out with Aubameyang’s seeming decline now largely deemed the result of him being what he is: a 32-year-old centre-forward.

Earning £350k-per-week and enduring his worst goal drought to date, naturally there are concerns being raised over what output Arteta can expect over the next 24 months as the drop-off in his performances runs the risk of slumping further.

He is also going nowhere. Arsenal had their chance to sell 12 months ago and instead went big an invested in Aubameyang. Massively so. They analysed the situation and as soon as the contract was offered and signed, that was it. He is here for three years on big money and will leave for free when it’s complete.

Nobody can afford him, not least in the current climate. Arsenal may be open to moving him on but no club in their right mind is going to take that leap right now. There is still hope for Aubameyang, that he can indeed score another 20 goals in the Premier League. That should be the focus now.