Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has yet to get a new contract with Arsenal FC but it appears he has already set his demands. The 31-year-old football player is seeking a three-year deal where he would be paid about $312,000 a week. After weeks of reportedly talking, these were the first figures that have come out in the open.
Arsenal is believed to be working on a deal with the Gabon national to stay on after next season. Aubameyang's contract runs for another 12 months but the Gunners have been advised to start securing his services as early as now. As pointed out by ESPN, the pay that he is seeking may seem a lot though it is lesser than what Mesut Ozil is getting. Ozil is making roughly $436,000 a week.
Now, it will be the turn of Arsenal to respond to the demands of Aubameyang. Mikel Arteta had previously said that they want to keep the Gabon captain. The Gunners manager also alleged that he feels Aubameyang is happy at Emirates Stadium. Hence, it could only be a matter of trying to tie up loose ends to extend his stay with the Gunners.
The demands of Aubameyang is understandable. He is already 31 and is fully aware that this deal could very well be the last big one he can ask in his football career. Though he has shown that he is still a force to reckon with, there is no telling how long Aubameyang can sustain his level of play.
In their game against Norwich, Aubameyang drew heavy attention with his performance. He scored a goal that made him the fastest player to reach 50 goals in Arsenal history. It was an outstanding performance that can be viewed in two ways.
On one end, it proves that he deserves a bigger deal with his current club. Contract talks have been going on for months but the COVID-19 pandemic caused complications. Regardless, Arteta seemed determined to keep him around although a new deal has yet to be signed.
Looking at it in another way, Aubameyang may have been showing to other clubs that he can still play at a high level. There are several teams interested in his services such as Barcelona, Inter Milan, Juventus and Manchester United. Of those teams, Juventus recently inquired on the availability of the Gabonese. Hence, Arsenal needs to be careful. If they don't secure Aubameyang soon, other teams could come in and sway the Gabon football player to make a jump to their side.
