Arsenal forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is about to enter the final year of his current deal at the club and chances are the Gunners will have to cash in on him this summer.
The club have been trying to make him agree to a new deal for some time now but it looks like they have finally called it quits and have put the forward up for sale with clubs like Manchester United and Chelsea interested in signing him.
But according to Charlie Nicholas, Arsenal cannot risk losing such a big asset which is why they have no other option but to hold onto him via any means necessary.
Nicholas said on Sky Sports: “While I do believe that Arsenal need to fund a rebuild, my preference would be to offer Aubameyang what he wants.
“Everyone will flag up his wages and I have been told differing scenarios, especially with Mesut Ozil. Is it possible Ozil could move on? Could this then help fund wages for Aubameyang and others? If they can get Ozil off the wage bill without getting anything for him, it will not be too much of a detriment.
“There are different ways of doing this, but more than anything, I would want Arsenal to renew Aubameyang’s contract for three or four years, if they can. They must give Aubameyang exactly what he wants. There simply aren’t many other players like him at that level.”
Is Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang needed at Arsenal?
During the ongoing season, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has already scored 17 goals in just 26 Premier League matches and it will be really hard for Mikel Arteta to replace such a goal-scorer within just one transfer window.
The only way the club can secure a top-class goal-getter is by sending a lot of money which right now is an issue for Arsenal since they might be working on a very limited budget at the end of the season.
Also, the club will once again miss out on Champions League football meaning not a lot of top players would be keen enough to join the Emirates outfit in case Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang chooses to leave in the summer.
So while we understand that Arsenal want to keep their wage bills in check for the next season but right now, they have no other option but to give the Gabon international what he wants – especially if they wish to get back into the top-four next year.
