Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta will reportedly take charge of the extension deal negotiations with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and talk the team captain into signing a new contract at the Emirates. Reports surfaced this week that the Gunners made an offer to the Gabon international and Arteta wants to make sure the club will get Aubameyang's signature.
The Arsenal skipper will see his contract end in 2021 and has so far shied away from agreeing on a fresh deal that will keep him on Arteta's side. While Aubameyang has professed love for the team that saw him score 61 goals in 97 games so far, the temptation of switching sides is unlikely to go away anytime soon.
As his club's top marksman, Aubameyang has attracted the attention of top clubs in Europe. He is believed to be a transfer target of Barcelona and Chelsea so knowing that the striker could leave next summer and possibly for free, Arteta is making the move to persuade his top-gun to stay, according to Mirror.
The decision to intervene and take part in a business usually carried out by club executives pointed to the Spanish manager's resolve to keep the Gunners' top goalscorer "under any circumstances."
Per the same report, Arteta is scheduled to sit with Aubameyang and his father, and the club boss is convinced that his initiative will lead to favorable results for Arsenal.
Heading to the discussion, Arteta is comforted by the fact that the Gunners' team captain had earlier committed to working hard for Arsenal to start winning titles again.
"I am the Arsenal captain. I love this club. I am committed to it and desperate to bring it back to the top, where it belongs," the striker was reported as saying in January.
Meanwhile, it would seem that the task of convincing Aubameyang to keep wearing the Arsenal jersey is not limited to the team manager. Helping out on such a crucial project is Alexandre Lacazette, who took to social media to urge his teammate to stick with the Gunners.
Lacazette, according to Metro, was reacting to the reports of a fresh extension deal sent by Arsenal for Aubameyang's consideration.
"Don't let us down, @aubameyang97. Sign the ting," the Arsenal forward was reported as saying on his Instagram post.
Another teammate is quite optimistic that the ongoing talks will do good for Arsenal and that Aubameyang will remain part of the team. Keeper Bernd Leno said he is not privy to the details of the negotiations but insisted the skipper will choose to stay.
