Arsenal top forwards Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and Alexandre Lacazette has reportedly been unwilling to discuss the possibility of extending their stay at the Emirates, no thanks to the team's disappointing showing lately. As the Gunners appear to slide in the Premier League, the pair have indicated plans to keep their options open.
Aubameyang will see his contract with Arsenal end on 2021, and the Gunners have reportedly offered him a long-term extension, but the talks to date haven't led to an agreement. It was the same case for Lacazette, and it appeared the duo are deliberately holding off.
Specifically for the Gabonese forward, it seemed a wait-and-see stance at the moment, Metro reported, adding Aubameyang has elected not to commit anything with the North London club.
"The striker is keeping his options open to see how the season pans out for the Gunners, while Unai Emery's future is also likely to prove pivotal," the report said.
It was unsurprising that Arsenal would want Aubameyang to stay with the club beyond 2021. After transferring to the team, which cost the Gunners £57 million in 2018, the Gabon native figured in 78 games and scored 50 goals.
Arsenal is ready to re-sign the striker, but the negotiation on the matter has stalled, apparently on the initiative by Aubameyang.
According to The Daily Mirror, Aubameyang's hesitation stemmed from his desire to play again in Champions League, where the forward has appeared 32 times while still with Borussia Dortmund.
Since signing up with Arsenal last year, Aubameyang has yet to appear on a UCL game, and the competition was memorable to him. With Dortmund, the striker chalked up 15 goals playing in the league.
However, his chance of repeating history seemed diminished with the Gunners. At present, the English club sits at No. 5 in the Premier League but could slide down further if wins prove elusive in upcoming matches.
As mentioned, it appeared that the Gunners under Emery was part of the reasons that Aubameyang and Lacazette have held off on talking about extension deals. Hounded by controversies, it seemed that the Spanish team manager was unable to inspire confidence from the Gunners roster, as evidenced by the pair's case.
Emery failed to score victories for Arsenal in the club's last five games, and critics have claimed that his management style has polarized the team. As the man in charge, he insisted on leaving out Mesut Ozil from the squad in most games this season and failed to get a hold on skipper Granit Xhaka, who had a row with Arsenal supporters.
Reports have depicted too of a disconnection between Emery and some Arsenal players, and the blame was pointed on the Spaniard's poor grasp of English.
