Arsenal make key Aubameyang transfer decision

Arsenal swept aside Sunderland 5-1 in their Carabao Cup quarter-final tie on Tuesday, the fourth game running where Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s name never once got a mention.

It speaks volumes of the rest of the team when the captain of the club being stripped of his position has not been the major, or often even minor, talking point after a match.

Three successive Premier League wins over Southampton, West Ham and Leeds were all dominated by the brilliance of the individuals on the pitch, while booking a place in the Carabao Cup semi-finals was another evening where other forwards took the headlines.

Still refusing to give a date on Aubameyang’s return to first team action, Mikel Arteta’s tight-lipped responses are supplemented by claims from various outlets that the 32-year-old will be training alone until and not link up with his teammates until AFCON concludes.

Arsenal make January Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang transfer decision as Barcelona, Juventus, AC Milan and Inter eye possible deal

Disciplinary measures tend not to last this long.

This is a situation that stretches far beyond a slap on the wrist. There are bridges here that are feel either unmendable, or are merely being held together by hope.

Therefore, it comes as no surprise whatsoever that Arsenal will be open to offers for Aubameyang in the coming January winter window. Of course they are. It would be baffling if they weren’t.

Senior writer at ESPN, James Olley, states that while the situation is ‘not beyond repair’ in north London, the club will nonetheless seek out interest from across Europe to gauge whether a satisfactory deal to suit all parties is achievable.

Even if Aubameyang hadn’t have been stripped of the captaincy and ostracised from the squad, Arsenal would still have been listening to offers in the winter window purely down to his worrying form. Every player has a price.

Among those rumoured to be at least intrigued by the proposition of signing Aubameyang are Barcelona, Juventus, AC Milan and Inter.

Financially, both Barça and Juventus are cash strapped, with the other Serie A sides not in a strong position either where they can afford a base salary of £250k-per-week without bonuses. It’s an almighty stumbling block that few clubs will be able to overcome.

A loan might be the Gunners’ best chance of finding a temporary solution, albeit undoubtedly requiring both clubs paying a portion of his wages to push the deal through.