say yes
forum master baiter
Lots of interesting information in here, including yet more evidence that Grimandi is the worst scout of all time and should be charged with committing footballing crimes against humanity:
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Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang: 2019/20 Performances
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Lots of interesting information in here, including yet more evidence that Grimandi is the worst scout of all time and should be charged with committing footballing crimes against humanity:
boonthegoon
Arteta In by November
Country: USA
Player:Ødegaard
Country: England
Player:Saliba
He scores . . . a lot . . . . that's all that matters when your midfield and defence is complete cack. Re-sign him quickly and start working on the problem areas ffs.
Riou
In The Winchester, Waiting For This To Blow Over
Country: Northern Ireland
Player:Gabriel
Arsène putting his under qualified mates in key positions at the club, that set us back years...but no, anything bad to happen to the club is entirely the fans fault for complaining.
Also Raul only working with his mates is bad, which is different from what Arsène did apparently.
MD3 Gunner
All Deals Off
Also introduced Sanogo didn't he.. Giroud was not bad though
Country: England
Was a very good and insightful article tbh. Hopefully @American_Gooner can come with the transcript for those unable to read.
Explains a hell of a lot.
Explains a hell of a lot.
Tir Na Nog
Changes Opinion Every 5 Minutes
Country: Ireland
**** sake.
Country: England
Kinda nuts to think that we could have had Aubameyang this whole time instead of Giroud and Lacazette.
False economy under Wenger's regime strikes again.
False economy under Wenger's regime strikes again.
Player:Martinelli
Wengers done it again hasn't he?
That's why sadly we never acted as serious club we always put ourselves short in quality in some areas because wenger was too confident on his rubbish scouts.
Giroud is still a good player but Auba is far superior
Giroud is still a good player but Auba is far superior
Also i seriously want orny tell us why in 2015 summer we only signed cech
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is not often given to displays of emotion on the football pitch. At times, he seems to play the game with a healthy detachment — it’s what enables him to laugh off a miss and put the next chance away. It’s how he avoids the urge to retaliate as yet another lumbering centre-half raps into his ankles. He punishes the opposition with goals, not fouls.
Given that easy-going nature, it was striking to see him pounding the ground in frustration towards the end of Arsenal’s final Premier League match against Watford. Especially in the context: a game Arsenal led 3-2, and in which they had no particular need to win.
Eddie Nketiah had broken free, and instead of shooting sought to play Aubameyang in to his left. The angle was narrow, and the striker’s shot was blocked by the goalkeeper. The goal would have given Aubameyang his hat-trick, but that isn’t what irked him most. More significantly, it would have taken him level with Jamie Vardy as the joint winner of the Premier League’s Golden Boot.
In each of the last two seasons, Aubameyang has taken to the field on the final day chasing down the division’s leading goalscorer. In both instances, Arsenal have had critical cup finals on the horizon. In similar circumstances other teams might rest their best players. It is testament to Aubameyang’s fitness and hunger that in both games he played a full 90 minutes.
It is natural for a striker to want to accumulate as many goals as possible, but it’s interesting nonetheless that this individual accolade is of such interest to a player who is, in many respects, incredibly unselfish. It is as if he senses an opportunity to salvage some personal success from Arsenal’s collective disaster of a season. While Arsenal’s league position tumbles, Aubameyang continues to compete at the very top of the goalscoring charts.
One suspects missing out on the Golden Boot would hurt a lot less if Aubameyang had a Premier League title, or even Champions League qualification, to console him. Aubameyang would have loved the award, but at this stage of his career he’d probably prefer a major medal.
He’ll have a chance to compete for one of those in Saturday’s FA Cup final. Whatever the outcome, Aubameyang will face questions over whether that is to be his final match for Arsenal. With less than 12 months remaining on his current contract, his future is in the spotlight. Aubameyang has an excellent relationship with the new coach Mikel Arteta but will be acutely aware that rebuilding Arsenal looks like a long-term project. At 31, his time may be running short.
Aubameyang is not unhappy at Arsenal — quite the opposite. He loves London and has good relationships with team-mates and staff. The question is whether that is enough. Despite his status as one of the world’s most prolific forwards, he has never won a domestic league title. He has never won a major European trophy. Having elected to represent Gabon, the country of his father’s birth, he is unlikely to be compensated by international honours.
There are suitors on the continent who could offer a more immediate route to glory. If Aubameyang is to leave Arsenal, his preference is to move abroad rather than stay in the Premier League. The Athletic understands Inter Milan and Barcelona have both expressed their interest, while Juventus are monitoring the situation. For a player who once turned down a lucrative move to China, this decision is unlikely to be about money. It will be about fulfilment.
For their part, Arsenal must weigh up whether they can afford to offer Aubameyang a new deal against whether they can afford to lose him. The coach’s opinion is clear: in recent weeks, Arteta has been increasingly vocal about wanting Aubameyang to stay.
If the club have the financial capacity to grant Arteta’s wish, the challenge becomes persuading Aubameyang that Arsenal is the best place for him. He’ll score goals wherever he plays, so they must find a way to offer more: a project, a future, a plan. Arsenal are the eighth-best team in England with one of the finest centre-forwards in Europe. To keep Aubameyang, they must reassure him they can close that gap. Arsenal must somehow convince Aubameyang they can provide him with more than just another shot at the Golden Boot.
Aubameyang’s history with Arsenal goes back some way. His first professional contract was with AC Milan but he never played for the Italian giants. Instead, he spent four seasons on loan at four different French clubs. It was only with the last of those teams, Saint-Etienne, that his talent finally began to blossom.
Arsenal’s scouts had been tracking Aubameyang since his first forays into French football. In the summer of 2012, scouts Steve Rowley and Francis Cagigao recommended him as a potential addition to the Arsenal frontline. Arsenal’s French scout, Gilles Grimandi, was less convinced, and consequently the club instead opted for Olivier Giroud. A year later, Aubameyang joined Borussia Dortmund, unrivalled by any Arsenal bid. In fact, the English team who came close to securing his signature were Newcastle, who had hoped to pair him with Senegalese front man Papiss Cisse.
Nevertheless, Aubameyang’s name continued to crop up in Arsenal’s annual list of transfer targets. As his form exploded in Dortmund, he understandably became a darling of Arsenal’s internal analytics department, Stat DNA. When Wenger decided to acquire a new centre-forward in the summer of 2017, Stat DNA had Aubameyang at No 1 on their list. In fairness, you didn’t need to be an analytics guru to understand the numbers Aubameyang had produced in the preceding season: 31 goals in 32 Bundesliga appearances.
There were dissenting voices. Outside of Dortmund, Aubameyang had an unearned reputation as a difficult character. The fast cars, diamond-studded boots and superhero masks led some to suggest he was not as focused on football as he might be. This was a concern for Arsène Wenger, who knew the club could not invest financially or emotionally in someone whose focus was not absolute.
In the end, Arsenal chose Alexandre Lacazette over Aubameyang as the man to lead their attack — a striker who not only carried a lower fee but who also arrived on a relatively modest salary for a supposed marquee signing. It was seemingly the more conservative option.
Six months later, Arsenal had both. It had not been part of a grand plan. As one source confirmed: “If we’d signed Aubameyang first, we wouldn’t have acquired Lacazette.”
In the modern history of Arsenal, few periods can have been more dramatic or defining than the climax to the January 2018 transfer window. In the space of just 16 days, Theo Walcott and Olivier Giroud were sold to Everton and Chelsea respectively, Alexis Sanchez was swapped for Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Aubameyang arrived from Dortmund for a then club record of £56 million, and Mesut Özil signed a new three-and-a-half-year contract, making him the highest-paid player in Arsenal’s history. The reverberations of that frantic fortnight are still felt keenly today.
There were changes happening behind the scenes too. Sven Mislintat had arrived as the club’s new head of recruitment. The existing chief transfer negotiator, **** Law, was set to leave, having agreed to stay on until February to help bed in contracts expert Huss Fahmy. A new head of football relations was due to arrive in the shape of Raul Sanllehi. Although not yet officially an Arsenal employee, Sanllehi had sought to use his Brazilian contacts to assist in the club’s pursuit of Malcom — a deal they eventually opted against. What’s more, although we did not know it at the time, we were just months away from Wenger’s own seismic departure.
With Giroud, Walcott and Alexis all keen to leave, and Lacazette struggling for form and fitness in a difficult debut season, Arsenal needed goals. There are few players in Europe that guarantee greater productivity than Aubameyang.
Mislintat was the pivotal figure in the signing of the Gabon forward — and not just because of his contacts at Dortmund. It was his testimony to the striker’s diligence, humility and positivity that eventually won Wenger round. “Arsène talked about this many times,” recalls one former Arsenal staff member. “He said that if he’d listened to certain other people, he would never have signed Auba.”
For his part, Aubameyang was itching to move to London. His desire for a new challenge had seen him singe his bridges at Dortmund, and the opportunity to link up with Mislintat again had an obvious appeal.
The plan was to field Aubameyang and Lacazette alongside each other in a potent front two. When Mislintat first brought Aubameyang to Dortmund, he did so anticipating he’d form part of a strike partnership — one that would emphasise Aubameyang’s off-the-ball running, while compensating for his underwhelming hold-up play. In London, the scout saw an opportunity to finally realise his vision.
There was hope too that the signing of Aubameyang would provide a complementary centre-forward for Mesut Özil. It was not to be. Of Aubameyang’s 54 Premier League goals, Özil has provided the assist for just one.
The decision to award Özil that lavish contract casts a lengthy shadow over Arsenal, and potentially over their negotiations with Aubameyang. Özil was 29 at the time — the rate of decline in his effectiveness had not been anticipated. Aubameyang is 31 now. He is Arsenal’s best player — but at the time his contract was agreed, so was Özil, having been voted the club’s player of the month in both November and December of 2017.
Arsenal felt they could not afford to lose their star and took a decision which still weighs heavy upon them. It was a calculated gamble that backfired. At this critical point in the club’s history, they can not afford to get it wrong again.
When assessing the wisdom of offering any ageing player a new contract, there are two key components to examine closely for signs of decline: the physical and the motivational.
Certainly, Aubameyang’s athletic attributes show no obvious signs of fading. “Physically, he’s a freak,” says one Arsenal source. He played 3,138 minutes of this Premier League season, the highest tally at Arsenal by some distance — this despite a three-match ban in January (one of the games he missed was in the FA Cup). Earlier this season he was clocked at 35.5 kilometres per hour, making him the fastest player in the Premier League. That speed won’t vanish in a matter of months — when it declines, it’s likely to be more gradual.
Sometimes when a player’s future in doubt, their commitment will waver. That hasn’t been the case for Aubameyang. The Athletic understands that when Arsenal study in-game data for metrics such as sprints and high speed, he invariably tops those lists — usually alongside Kieran Tierney. Contract speculation has not reduced his physical output in training either. Arsenal staff speak of a model professional who appears to be in his prime.
Aubameyang has been helped by a remarkable fitness record. “The biggest predictor of injury is previous injury and he doesn’t have much of a previous injury history,” explains someone who witnessed Aubameyang’s feats of athleticism first hand. “Yes, he’s 31, but some would argue his injury record means you could take a couple of years off that.” His consistent availability is all the more remarkable given that he’s a sprint athlete, and they tend to incur muscular problems. Jamie Vardy’s continued success at 33 proves anomalies do exist.
When it comes to the subject of motivation, Arsenal will derive a sense of security from the fact that Aubameyang genuinely seems to be enjoying his football. “He’s not a guy who’s going to sign that last contract and go into dormancy,” a source suggests. “OK, he’s not Diego Costa in terms of a competitive streak, but it looks like he is having fun out there.”
He is relishing working under Arteta. The coaching staff have marvelled at the fact a player with his experience and reputation will happily stay on to do extra work after every single training session. He doesn’t need to be pushed — he will voluntarily take any opportunity to improve.
The “bad boy” myth from Dortmund has turned out to be little more than that. Aubameyang’s ascension to the rank of club captain is indicative of the standing he has among his team-mates. While he is close with Lacazette, his language skills mean he is able to connect with people from all corners of the dressing room. Recently he has spent time with Bukayo Saka and Ainsley Maitland-Niles, harnessing his experience to act as a mentor figure. He’s not a conventional captain, not someone to launch into an inspiring speech — it is these quiet moments of advice that demonstrate his leadership style. That, and his unerring focus: he trains, he eats lunch, he goes home.
The fast cars and flash clothes are still part of the Aubameyang experience. He has struck up a friendship with Yianni Charalambous, a car customiser whose Yiannimize garage is just a few minutes away from Arsenal’s London Colney training ground. “He always wants to be out there,” says Charalambous. “He likes the bling, he likes to be different — and he doesn’t care what people think, which is what’s amazing.” It was Charalambous who wrapped Aubameyang’s red £2 million La Ferrari in a new holographic finish. Like Aubameyang at Arsenal, a dazzle of colour across deep red traditions.
The showiness is just that. Speak to staff about Aubameyang and the word that comes up more than any other is “humility”. “People see the gold cars, the flash mirror Porsches and stuff like that, and think he’s a flash boy,” explains one. “He’s really really not a flash boy. He just likes to be unique — and he’ll laugh at himself. He’s really down to earth, polite, on time. Keeps himself to himself a little bit. But loves a laugh, always laughing. I don’t think I ever saw him miserable.” That laugh has become one of the most familiar sounds at London Colney — a joyful bray that follows wherever Aubameyang goes.
Aubameyang’s selflessness is evident in his willingness to play regularly from the left wing. Mislintat’s vision of a fearsome front two never quite came to pass. Unai Emery briefly leant on a partnership of Lacazette and Aubameyang in the club’s Europa League campaign of 2018-19, but other than that Aubameyang has operated either as a lone striker or as an inside forward from the left flank.
Starting on the left is not Aubameyang’s preference, but it is to his credit that he has played the role without complaint. The Athletic understands it is not a key point in the ongoing contract negotiations — Aubameyang recognises the decision lies with the coach and is prepared to do what is best for the team. That stance underlined the regard in which he already holds Arteta.
Crunch time is approaching. With Arsenal loath to lose another major star without recouping a fee, it looks to be a “sign or sell” situation. There were those within Arsenal’s organisation who actually advocated selling Aubameyang last summer. There was a feeling his market value was at its height and Arsenal should consider cashing in to fund a rebuild. In the light of the pandemic, it’s difficult to determine what an older Aubameyang might fetch if he were to move in this window. The cost of replacing him, meanwhile, would surely be huge. The £45 million or so for three more years of Aubameyang is beginning to look like good value.
Talks have been positive. Aubameyang has an excellent relationship with Arteta and is also in contact with Edu. It is a sign of the significance of this deal that head of football Sanllehi is now the sole negotiator on Arsenal’s behalf.
Both parties have shown a willingness to find an accord. Aubameyang’s initial contract was one of the first major deals that Fahmy drew up on the club’s behalf. It was signed in a hurry on transfer deadline day and consequently a number of clauses were inserted that have since been disregarded. Although June 2021 is the official end date of Aubameyang’s deal, The Athletic understands Arsenal did insert a purchase option on an additional year. This technically granted Arsenal the ability to unilaterally extend Aubameyang’s deal by a further 12 months, if they meet certain financial conditions.
There was an agreement that activating this clause suited nobody’s purposes. For Arsenal, the financial conditions would have been punishing. For Aubameyang, this summer is the right time to sign a deal that will offer him a degree of security in the latter stages of his career. He’ll require a contract that lasts several years, not a 12-month extension. The clause has effectively been deemed redundant: there is a recognition that you do not hold a player or person of Aubameyang’s standing against their will. If an agreement is found, it will be a mutual decision.
Aubameyang will lead Arsenal out at Wembley in what is not only a play-off for silverware, but also for European qualification. While The Athletic understands Aubameyang would consider staying in London without continental competition, it would certainly help Arsenal’s chances of retaining their captain.
The situation is somewhat reminiscent of when Aubameyang’s predecessor in the No 14 shirt, Thierry Henry, led Arsenal out in a Champions League final amid questions over his future. In the immediate aftermath of that game, Henry made an emotional pitchside pledge to remain in north London.
Aubameyang may need more time to turn things over. He has a holiday planned in France — two of the cars are already being shipped. Arsenal must be realistic: they can’t offer Aubameyang the Champions League, but will doubtless impress on him his importance to the team, and the role he can play in shepherding this young squad back to the promised land. They’ll remind him that he’s happy at Arsenal, under Arteta, and that the grass isn’t always greener elsewhere.
Aubameyang must decide what he wants. This consummate team player must consider whether it is time to be selfish. If he goes, it will be difficult to begrudge him the move. If he stays, Arsenal will be lucky to have him.
Given that easy-going nature, it was striking to see him pounding the ground in frustration towards the end of Arsenal’s final Premier League match against Watford. Especially in the context: a game Arsenal led 3-2, and in which they had no particular need to win.
Eddie Nketiah had broken free, and instead of shooting sought to play Aubameyang in to his left. The angle was narrow, and the striker’s shot was blocked by the goalkeeper. The goal would have given Aubameyang his hat-trick, but that isn’t what irked him most. More significantly, it would have taken him level with Jamie Vardy as the joint winner of the Premier League’s Golden Boot.
In each of the last two seasons, Aubameyang has taken to the field on the final day chasing down the division’s leading goalscorer. In both instances, Arsenal have had critical cup finals on the horizon. In similar circumstances other teams might rest their best players. It is testament to Aubameyang’s fitness and hunger that in both games he played a full 90 minutes.
It is natural for a striker to want to accumulate as many goals as possible, but it’s interesting nonetheless that this individual accolade is of such interest to a player who is, in many respects, incredibly unselfish. It is as if he senses an opportunity to salvage some personal success from Arsenal’s collective disaster of a season. While Arsenal’s league position tumbles, Aubameyang continues to compete at the very top of the goalscoring charts.
One suspects missing out on the Golden Boot would hurt a lot less if Aubameyang had a Premier League title, or even Champions League qualification, to console him. Aubameyang would have loved the award, but at this stage of his career he’d probably prefer a major medal.
He’ll have a chance to compete for one of those in Saturday’s FA Cup final. Whatever the outcome, Aubameyang will face questions over whether that is to be his final match for Arsenal. With less than 12 months remaining on his current contract, his future is in the spotlight. Aubameyang has an excellent relationship with the new coach Mikel Arteta but will be acutely aware that rebuilding Arsenal looks like a long-term project. At 31, his time may be running short.
Aubameyang is not unhappy at Arsenal — quite the opposite. He loves London and has good relationships with team-mates and staff. The question is whether that is enough. Despite his status as one of the world’s most prolific forwards, he has never won a domestic league title. He has never won a major European trophy. Having elected to represent Gabon, the country of his father’s birth, he is unlikely to be compensated by international honours.
There are suitors on the continent who could offer a more immediate route to glory. If Aubameyang is to leave Arsenal, his preference is to move abroad rather than stay in the Premier League. The Athletic understands Inter Milan and Barcelona have both expressed their interest, while Juventus are monitoring the situation. For a player who once turned down a lucrative move to China, this decision is unlikely to be about money. It will be about fulfilment.
For their part, Arsenal must weigh up whether they can afford to offer Aubameyang a new deal against whether they can afford to lose him. The coach’s opinion is clear: in recent weeks, Arteta has been increasingly vocal about wanting Aubameyang to stay.
If the club have the financial capacity to grant Arteta’s wish, the challenge becomes persuading Aubameyang that Arsenal is the best place for him. He’ll score goals wherever he plays, so they must find a way to offer more: a project, a future, a plan. Arsenal are the eighth-best team in England with one of the finest centre-forwards in Europe. To keep Aubameyang, they must reassure him they can close that gap. Arsenal must somehow convince Aubameyang they can provide him with more than just another shot at the Golden Boot.
Aubameyang’s history with Arsenal goes back some way. His first professional contract was with AC Milan but he never played for the Italian giants. Instead, he spent four seasons on loan at four different French clubs. It was only with the last of those teams, Saint-Etienne, that his talent finally began to blossom.
Arsenal’s scouts had been tracking Aubameyang since his first forays into French football. In the summer of 2012, scouts Steve Rowley and Francis Cagigao recommended him as a potential addition to the Arsenal frontline. Arsenal’s French scout, Gilles Grimandi, was less convinced, and consequently the club instead opted for Olivier Giroud. A year later, Aubameyang joined Borussia Dortmund, unrivalled by any Arsenal bid. In fact, the English team who came close to securing his signature were Newcastle, who had hoped to pair him with Senegalese front man Papiss Cisse.
Nevertheless, Aubameyang’s name continued to crop up in Arsenal’s annual list of transfer targets. As his form exploded in Dortmund, he understandably became a darling of Arsenal’s internal analytics department, Stat DNA. When Wenger decided to acquire a new centre-forward in the summer of 2017, Stat DNA had Aubameyang at No 1 on their list. In fairness, you didn’t need to be an analytics guru to understand the numbers Aubameyang had produced in the preceding season: 31 goals in 32 Bundesliga appearances.
There were dissenting voices. Outside of Dortmund, Aubameyang had an unearned reputation as a difficult character. The fast cars, diamond-studded boots and superhero masks led some to suggest he was not as focused on football as he might be. This was a concern for Arsène Wenger, who knew the club could not invest financially or emotionally in someone whose focus was not absolute.
In the end, Arsenal chose Alexandre Lacazette over Aubameyang as the man to lead their attack — a striker who not only carried a lower fee but who also arrived on a relatively modest salary for a supposed marquee signing. It was seemingly the more conservative option.
Six months later, Arsenal had both. It had not been part of a grand plan. As one source confirmed: “If we’d signed Aubameyang first, we wouldn’t have acquired Lacazette.”
In the modern history of Arsenal, few periods can have been more dramatic or defining than the climax to the January 2018 transfer window. In the space of just 16 days, Theo Walcott and Olivier Giroud were sold to Everton and Chelsea respectively, Alexis Sanchez was swapped for Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Aubameyang arrived from Dortmund for a then club record of £56 million, and Mesut Özil signed a new three-and-a-half-year contract, making him the highest-paid player in Arsenal’s history. The reverberations of that frantic fortnight are still felt keenly today.
There were changes happening behind the scenes too. Sven Mislintat had arrived as the club’s new head of recruitment. The existing chief transfer negotiator, **** Law, was set to leave, having agreed to stay on until February to help bed in contracts expert Huss Fahmy. A new head of football relations was due to arrive in the shape of Raul Sanllehi. Although not yet officially an Arsenal employee, Sanllehi had sought to use his Brazilian contacts to assist in the club’s pursuit of Malcom — a deal they eventually opted against. What’s more, although we did not know it at the time, we were just months away from Wenger’s own seismic departure.
With Giroud, Walcott and Alexis all keen to leave, and Lacazette struggling for form and fitness in a difficult debut season, Arsenal needed goals. There are few players in Europe that guarantee greater productivity than Aubameyang.
Mislintat was the pivotal figure in the signing of the Gabon forward — and not just because of his contacts at Dortmund. It was his testimony to the striker’s diligence, humility and positivity that eventually won Wenger round. “Arsène talked about this many times,” recalls one former Arsenal staff member. “He said that if he’d listened to certain other people, he would never have signed Auba.”
For his part, Aubameyang was itching to move to London. His desire for a new challenge had seen him singe his bridges at Dortmund, and the opportunity to link up with Mislintat again had an obvious appeal.
The plan was to field Aubameyang and Lacazette alongside each other in a potent front two. When Mislintat first brought Aubameyang to Dortmund, he did so anticipating he’d form part of a strike partnership — one that would emphasise Aubameyang’s off-the-ball running, while compensating for his underwhelming hold-up play. In London, the scout saw an opportunity to finally realise his vision.
There was hope too that the signing of Aubameyang would provide a complementary centre-forward for Mesut Özil. It was not to be. Of Aubameyang’s 54 Premier League goals, Özil has provided the assist for just one.
The decision to award Özil that lavish contract casts a lengthy shadow over Arsenal, and potentially over their negotiations with Aubameyang. Özil was 29 at the time — the rate of decline in his effectiveness had not been anticipated. Aubameyang is 31 now. He is Arsenal’s best player — but at the time his contract was agreed, so was Özil, having been voted the club’s player of the month in both November and December of 2017.
Arsenal felt they could not afford to lose their star and took a decision which still weighs heavy upon them. It was a calculated gamble that backfired. At this critical point in the club’s history, they can not afford to get it wrong again.
When assessing the wisdom of offering any ageing player a new contract, there are two key components to examine closely for signs of decline: the physical and the motivational.
Certainly, Aubameyang’s athletic attributes show no obvious signs of fading. “Physically, he’s a freak,” says one Arsenal source. He played 3,138 minutes of this Premier League season, the highest tally at Arsenal by some distance — this despite a three-match ban in January (one of the games he missed was in the FA Cup). Earlier this season he was clocked at 35.5 kilometres per hour, making him the fastest player in the Premier League. That speed won’t vanish in a matter of months — when it declines, it’s likely to be more gradual.
Sometimes when a player’s future in doubt, their commitment will waver. That hasn’t been the case for Aubameyang. The Athletic understands that when Arsenal study in-game data for metrics such as sprints and high speed, he invariably tops those lists — usually alongside Kieran Tierney. Contract speculation has not reduced his physical output in training either. Arsenal staff speak of a model professional who appears to be in his prime.
Aubameyang has been helped by a remarkable fitness record. “The biggest predictor of injury is previous injury and he doesn’t have much of a previous injury history,” explains someone who witnessed Aubameyang’s feats of athleticism first hand. “Yes, he’s 31, but some would argue his injury record means you could take a couple of years off that.” His consistent availability is all the more remarkable given that he’s a sprint athlete, and they tend to incur muscular problems. Jamie Vardy’s continued success at 33 proves anomalies do exist.
When it comes to the subject of motivation, Arsenal will derive a sense of security from the fact that Aubameyang genuinely seems to be enjoying his football. “He’s not a guy who’s going to sign that last contract and go into dormancy,” a source suggests. “OK, he’s not Diego Costa in terms of a competitive streak, but it looks like he is having fun out there.”
He is relishing working under Arteta. The coaching staff have marvelled at the fact a player with his experience and reputation will happily stay on to do extra work after every single training session. He doesn’t need to be pushed — he will voluntarily take any opportunity to improve.
The “bad boy” myth from Dortmund has turned out to be little more than that. Aubameyang’s ascension to the rank of club captain is indicative of the standing he has among his team-mates. While he is close with Lacazette, his language skills mean he is able to connect with people from all corners of the dressing room. Recently he has spent time with Bukayo Saka and Ainsley Maitland-Niles, harnessing his experience to act as a mentor figure. He’s not a conventional captain, not someone to launch into an inspiring speech — it is these quiet moments of advice that demonstrate his leadership style. That, and his unerring focus: he trains, he eats lunch, he goes home.
The fast cars and flash clothes are still part of the Aubameyang experience. He has struck up a friendship with Yianni Charalambous, a car customiser whose Yiannimize garage is just a few minutes away from Arsenal’s London Colney training ground. “He always wants to be out there,” says Charalambous. “He likes the bling, he likes to be different — and he doesn’t care what people think, which is what’s amazing.” It was Charalambous who wrapped Aubameyang’s red £2 million La Ferrari in a new holographic finish. Like Aubameyang at Arsenal, a dazzle of colour across deep red traditions.
The showiness is just that. Speak to staff about Aubameyang and the word that comes up more than any other is “humility”. “People see the gold cars, the flash mirror Porsches and stuff like that, and think he’s a flash boy,” explains one. “He’s really really not a flash boy. He just likes to be unique — and he’ll laugh at himself. He’s really down to earth, polite, on time. Keeps himself to himself a little bit. But loves a laugh, always laughing. I don’t think I ever saw him miserable.” That laugh has become one of the most familiar sounds at London Colney — a joyful bray that follows wherever Aubameyang goes.
Aubameyang’s selflessness is evident in his willingness to play regularly from the left wing. Mislintat’s vision of a fearsome front two never quite came to pass. Unai Emery briefly leant on a partnership of Lacazette and Aubameyang in the club’s Europa League campaign of 2018-19, but other than that Aubameyang has operated either as a lone striker or as an inside forward from the left flank.
Starting on the left is not Aubameyang’s preference, but it is to his credit that he has played the role without complaint. The Athletic understands it is not a key point in the ongoing contract negotiations — Aubameyang recognises the decision lies with the coach and is prepared to do what is best for the team. That stance underlined the regard in which he already holds Arteta.
Crunch time is approaching. With Arsenal loath to lose another major star without recouping a fee, it looks to be a “sign or sell” situation. There were those within Arsenal’s organisation who actually advocated selling Aubameyang last summer. There was a feeling his market value was at its height and Arsenal should consider cashing in to fund a rebuild. In the light of the pandemic, it’s difficult to determine what an older Aubameyang might fetch if he were to move in this window. The cost of replacing him, meanwhile, would surely be huge. The £45 million or so for three more years of Aubameyang is beginning to look like good value.
Talks have been positive. Aubameyang has an excellent relationship with Arteta and is also in contact with Edu. It is a sign of the significance of this deal that head of football Sanllehi is now the sole negotiator on Arsenal’s behalf.
Both parties have shown a willingness to find an accord. Aubameyang’s initial contract was one of the first major deals that Fahmy drew up on the club’s behalf. It was signed in a hurry on transfer deadline day and consequently a number of clauses were inserted that have since been disregarded. Although June 2021 is the official end date of Aubameyang’s deal, The Athletic understands Arsenal did insert a purchase option on an additional year. This technically granted Arsenal the ability to unilaterally extend Aubameyang’s deal by a further 12 months, if they meet certain financial conditions.
There was an agreement that activating this clause suited nobody’s purposes. For Arsenal, the financial conditions would have been punishing. For Aubameyang, this summer is the right time to sign a deal that will offer him a degree of security in the latter stages of his career. He’ll require a contract that lasts several years, not a 12-month extension. The clause has effectively been deemed redundant: there is a recognition that you do not hold a player or person of Aubameyang’s standing against their will. If an agreement is found, it will be a mutual decision.
Aubameyang will lead Arsenal out at Wembley in what is not only a play-off for silverware, but also for European qualification. While The Athletic understands Aubameyang would consider staying in London without continental competition, it would certainly help Arsenal’s chances of retaining their captain.
The situation is somewhat reminiscent of when Aubameyang’s predecessor in the No 14 shirt, Thierry Henry, led Arsenal out in a Champions League final amid questions over his future. In the immediate aftermath of that game, Henry made an emotional pitchside pledge to remain in north London.
Aubameyang may need more time to turn things over. He has a holiday planned in France — two of the cars are already being shipped. Arsenal must be realistic: they can’t offer Aubameyang the Champions League, but will doubtless impress on him his importance to the team, and the role he can play in shepherding this young squad back to the promised land. They’ll remind him that he’s happy at Arsenal, under Arteta, and that the grass isn’t always greener elsewhere.
Aubameyang must decide what he wants. This consummate team player must consider whether it is time to be selfish. If he goes, it will be difficult to begrudge him the move. If he stays, Arsenal will be lucky to have him.
Riou
In The Winchester, Waiting For This To Blow Over
Country: Northern Ireland
Player:Gabriel
"One suspects missing out on the Golden Boot would hurt a lot less if Aubameyang had a Premier League title, or even Champions League qualification, to console him. Aubameyang would have loved the award, but at this stage of his career he’d probably prefer a major medal."
It's weird how we were constantly laughed at for finishing in the top four from 2006-2016, but the second we missed out on it in 2017 the press deemed it super important...funny that...
Guarantee if we ever get back into the Champions League, it will be no big deal again
It's weird how we were constantly laughed at for finishing in the top four from 2006-2016, but the second we missed out on it in 2017 the press deemed it super important...funny that...
Guarantee if we ever get back into the Champions League, it will be no big deal again
No its wasn't summer to remember there was too many weak links
Morgan Schneiderlin.
Country: England
It's a shame perception rather than what he was doing on the pitch blocked Auba's climb to Europe's elite.
Bring's me back to Klopp's comments about Mane.
I think tucked shirts and Tesco bags means way too much in football sadly.
Bring's me back to Klopp's comments about Mane.
I think tucked shirts and Tesco bags means way too much in football sadly.
BigPoppaPump
Reeling from Laca & Kos nightmares
He probably would have spent most his career injured if he came here young anyway.
Riou
In The Winchester, Waiting For This To Blow Over
Country: Northern Ireland
Player:Gabriel
Would have taken him that season, would have meant a past it Arteta/Flamini got minimal game time...Mikel had a really nice and emotional finish to that season against Villa in his last game, but Christ he was bad that year.
I remember Coq getting injured against West Brom, Arteta came on when we were 1-0 up...he gave away a needless freekick that led to the equalizer, scored an own goal that turned out to be the winner, then went off injured himself
Sniper Mik
Not a Closet Sp**s Fan
Grimandi should be punished for war crimes ffs. What a bellend
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