Arsenal F.C. has finally come up with a contract for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and the numbers and add-ons are reportedly what the Gabon national has been long asking for. The only problem now is that because of the long wait, it will be the 31-year-old's turn to make the Gunners wait.
There are now reports claiming that Aubameyang plans to thumb down the Arsenal offer if it was made now. According to Mundo Deportivo, the Gabon player is getting interest from FC Barcelona. This stems from the possibility that the Blaugrana may end up falling short in their pursuit of Lautaro Martinez. Inter Milan is seeking roughly $115 million for the 22-year-old player, numbers that Barca may not be able to afford. This is part of the financial crisis that most clubs are dealing with due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hence, Aubameyang is reportedly willing to wait and see what Barcelona is ready to offer him. Hence, Arsenal is put in a spot, after finally getting a deal together thanks to Mikel Arteta's scolding.
The Gunners coach was pretty upset that it took Arsenal management some time to come up with an offer for the Gabon captain. The said deal will see Aubameyang earn about $317,000-a-week aside from other bonuses, the Telegraph reported.
However, the deal will still not make Aubameyang the highest-paid player on the Gunners' side. Mesut Ozil remains the clubs' highest-paid player, earning $444,000 per week. However, there is a growing belief that the German could be on his way out. Ozil has yet to see action since the football restart due to an alleged and mysterious back injury.
Arteta made it clear that Aubemeyang is a vital part of his plans for Arsenal. In a previous post, the Arsenal manager mentioned that there are a lot of uncertain things that need to be addressed. He eventually admitted that Aubameyang was one of those problems.
“With Auba, I think I’ve been very clear with what I want. The quicker we do it for me personally the better because the player will be more focused, more determined and more calm, but we have to respect the timings as well and the needs that the football club has,” Arteta said.
With the new twist, Arteta is likely to get even more upset. Contract talks with Aubameyang were ongoing since before the COVID-19 pandemic occurred. Though he has sent feelers of staying at Emirates Stadium, it could now end up in a pricing war. If Barca ends up offering something better, Arsenal can either offer a new deal or see the Gabonese head to Camp Nou.
