Mikel Arteta has been ruthless in dealing with some senior players on his side. The Spaniard may have come under criticism for how he handled Mesut Ozil, but he is under no illusion of what he wants to achieve with Arsenal.
The Gunners are in a fierce battle to nick a Champions League spot by making the top four. The North London club is in a straight battle with West Ham United, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United and Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Arteta has not been shielded from wielding the big stick. He has ostracized his captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang for returning late from a visit to France.
Loan offer for Aubameyang
The days of former Borussia Dortmund striker Aubameyang at Arsenal seems to be numbered. The Gabon forward was stripped of the captaincy and frozen out of the team. The striker could leave the North London club this month with an offer arriving from Saudi Arabia.
According to CBS Sports, Al Nasr wants to take the forward on loan till the end of the season. They have made an offer to Arsenal for the striker’s services. The Gunners are studying the Saudi proposal and have not made a pronouncement. The offer on the table is a loan till the end of the season. It could include the obligation to buy for €8 million.
Arsenal may be willing to part company with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang following the issue between the player and manager in late 2021. Since the summer of 2020, he has been linked with an exit from the club.
Before departing for the Africa Cup of Nations, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang failed to appear for Arsenal in their last five games. Arteta wants Aubameyang out with the Gunners pursuing Fiorentina striker Dusan Vlahovic.
An abrupt end to AFCON for Auba
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang departed Arsenal for Cameroon to help Gabon win their first Africa Cup of Nations title. The Gabon international did not play any of Gabon’s three group stage matches. Gabon qualified for the next round without Aubameyang and Mario Lemina for the rest of the tournament.
Aubameyang missed Gabon’s first two games after contracting the coronavirus. Upon recovering, he was out of the tie against Ghana due to heart concerns. Aubameyang and his national teammate Mario Lemina have returned home from the Africa Cup of Nations due to their heart issues.
According to Mikel Arteta, Aubameyang is in London, where he will go through some examinations to get clarity on his condition. Arteta opined that it is the club’s obligation to make sure that the Gabon international is medically safe. It is hard to say if his condition would affect the potential move to Al Nasr.
Aubameyang has been out of form for the Gunners amid multiple bouts of Covid-19 and malaria. The drop in formd when he signed a new contract with the North London side last season.
By :
Steven D. Thompson
