Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is good but knows that there is still plenty of room for improvement. Returning from the COVID-19 break, the Gabon captain appeared to be auditioning to get a better contract. Clubs like Barcelona tried to do that but it turns out the show was focused more on showing Arsenal FC what they have and what they could lose.
FC Barcelona tried to lure Aubameyang out of Emirates Stadium, offering him a staggering $446,000-a-week paycheck, Sky Sports reported. That was more than what Arsenal had to offer but the 31-year-old considered other things. That includes the philosophy that Mikel Arteta was preaching and the chance to be among the greats for Arsenal FC. In the end, he settled for a $320,000 weekly wage with the Gunners.
But for Aubameyang, play football was not all about money. He knows that better things are in store for the Gunners and the philosophy the Spanish coach was trying to preach would be to his advantage. Though he has already shown brilliance on the field, the Gabonese is aware that he can improve his skills further. Hence, there is perhaps no better mentor who can pass that on in Arteta.
"I was like 'I feel good since you came, I'm improving, and the philosophy is very, very nice so I just want to stay' and he was like 'I'm sure if you stay you can leave a legacy, but it's all about you and what you want. Of course you can leave and go for trophies in big clubs as well but I think you can create a legacy here in this great club,'” Aubameyang said.
A stint with Barcelona would have been risky for Aubameyang. Though he would be getting paid more, it remains that Barca is a team on the rebuild. Also, his room for improvement is questionable. Lionel Messi is still around and Ronald Koeman is bringing in new young blood.
So far, only one other team was mentioned as having an interest in Aubameyang – Inter Milan. There was no clear pitch made by the club to the Gabon national. Little was known about their interest of Inter though they were perhaps merely exploring possibilities.
Barca, Inter or other clubs will continue to keep tabs with Aubameyang’s progress. If the 31-year-old plays out the rest of his contract, he could be a potential target once more when it expires. But the only question there is if will still have the fire in him, the same one that has drawn the interest of several clubs as of late.
