Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has done a number of positive things since being appointed as the new manager at the club. But holding onto Aubameyang could be his biggest target so far.
Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang has been heavily linked with a move out of the club during the January transfer window and there have been rumours that Barcelona want to sign him in a big-money move.
While Arteta has made it clear that he would try his best to hold onto the forward but according to Martin Keown, the club shouldn’t create a mess with this transfer business.
“Arteta has got to be allowed to build the team,” Keown told Goal. “He’s got to be given money to develop.
“Do the owners need to be put some of their own money in?
“Obviously there are limits to the losses the club can run at, we know that with Manchester City in recent weeks and what they’ve gone through, but expenditure needs to be made in the team.
“Key decisions need to be made [with Aubameyang and Lacazette].
“Are they going to stay or not? Do Arsenal have to face up to the prospect of perhaps losing Aubameyang? I wouldn’t want to see him go, but they don’t want to be held to ransom either.
“You could argue with Ozil that’s what happened because at the time [Alexis] Sanchez and Ozil were two big players and they didn’t want to lose both so they invested heavily in Ozil.”
Will Aubameyang be allowed to leave?
The player has been linked with a move out at the end of the season and we believe his transfer will depend on Arsenal’s Champions League qualification.
If the Gunners fail to get back into the top division of European football, which looks like isn’t going to happen, then there’s a big chance that the Gabon international might want to head out for greener pastures.
A player like Aubameyang would surely want to ply his trade in the Champions League which a club like Barcelona can very easily guarantee. So in case Arsenal remain in the Europa League next season as well, then it might be wise of them to cash in on the forward and let Arteta use that money to rebuild his squad.
