Aubameyang's move to Barcelona a risk for Arsenal and Mikel Arteta? Football pundits voice concerns
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has joined Barcelona on a free transfer after leaving Arsenal, with the move to be announced on Tuesday.
FollowGabon international Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has joined La Liga giants Barcelona on a free transfer after leaving Arsenal, with an official announcement expected on Tuesday. The 32-year-old striker stripped off his captaincy in December following a disciplinary breach, signed the deal late on Monday night.
Aubameyang, who has not played after December 6, was also left out of the Gunners' squad for their warm-weather training camp in Dubai. The Gabonese, who scored 92 goals in 163 games for Arsenal, leaves the Emirates Stadium inside the final 18 months of a contract worth 350,000 pounds a week.
The Spanish giants feared the move was dead earlier on transfer deadline day, even though the striker had flown to Spain. Aubameyang had also been linked with a switch to Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr.
Aubameyang was sent home early from the Africa Cup of Nations in January due to health issues. The forward missed Gabon's draw with Ghana after scans revealed "heart lesions" following a bout of Covid-19, although later scans gave him the all-clear.
Arsenal is estimated to be making a saving of around 25 million pounds in wages with Aubameyang's departure to Camp Nou. He was bought for 56 million pounds from Borussia Dortmund in 2018. However, the Gabon international's exit means manager Mikel Arteta will end this season with just two recognised strikers in their squad - Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah.
What if Aubameyang scores more goals at Barcelona?
Football pundits have voiced mixed opinions over Aubameyang's move to Barcelona with Sky Sports' Kaveh Solhekol indicating a possible risk by Mikel Arteta because 'what happens if the striker scores a lot of goals at Camp Nou?' Highlighting that this move shows how much Arsenal are backing the judgement of their manager, Solhekol added that not wanting the best goalscorer, the club captain, and the highest earner for disciplinary reasons is a massive call.
Solhekol, however, lauded Aubameyang's stint with the North London club, adding that the Gabon international may be leaving Arsenal under a bit of cloud, but there are also a lot of good memories. "His ratio of goals to games is right up there with the great players," the expert added.Â
The television presenter also said that although Arsenal fans will say that the team is weaker now than they were at the start of the window, he urges supporters to back Mikel Arteta's judgement because that's what the club owners are doing.
Did Aubameyang lose his way?
Shedding light on Aubameyang's abilities, football journalist Adam Bate opined that it is worth reminding people that the Gabon international was a world-class striker for much of his time at Arsenal. Recalling Aubameyang's debut in February 2018 until his double against Everton in February 2020, Bate said no other player had scored more Premier League goals. The 32-year-old netted 49 goals during that period, the same as Liverpool's Mohamed Salah and a dozen more than Tottenham's Harry Kane. The Sky Sports journalist noted that the striker scored twice in the Gunners' FA Cup final win over Chelsea in the summer of 2020.
Bate said that as soon as Aubameyang signed his new contract in September, there was a sense of decline that his best days were behind him. "Stripped of the captaincy, too often the leadership has had to come from elsewhere. It is the young players driving Arsenal on under Mikel Arteta, not their best-paid player. That is a situation the club knows well having been through similar with Mesut Ozil. It cannot last," the Sky Sports journalist added.
Bate also said that there will still be hope that Aubameyang can recapture his best form after drawing inspiration from new surroundings at Camp Nou and the challenge of restoring Barcelona to its former glory. "At Arsenal, any regret will be tempered by the feeling that it is time for the club to move on," he concluded.
'Arsenal desperately need a striker'
With Aubameyang's departure to the Xavi Hernandez side, Arsenal fans will now be concerned about their club's future without a world-class striker. Football pundit Paul Merson believes that the North London club will not win too much without a centre forward. If Alexandre Lacazette puts the open goal chances away, it is of grave concern for Mikel Arteta.
"I know people will say Manchester City do, but they still have to win the Champions League playing with a false nine. They also have superstars all over the pitch and are probably the only team in the world that could do that. So, Arsenal needs a centre forward," the Sky Sports presenter concluded.
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