Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has revealed that captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is happy at the club and he remains confident the forward will stay at the Emirates.
The North London club made it three wins in a row as they emerged 4-0 victors against Norwich City yesterday. One of the major reasons for that was the performance of Aubameyang, who had two goals and an assist. With the season heading to a conclusion, the focus will now shift to the forward’s contract, which is set to conclude next summer.
Earlier this week, Arsenal revealed that Bukayo Saka has signed a new contract and fans will be hoping the club can get Aubameyang to do the same. Speaking ahead of the Wolves game, Arteta made it clear that he wants to keep Aubameyang at any cost.
Speaking to Arsenal’s official website, he said:
“It is just my opinion, things change in football very quickly but when you ask me in that moment how I feel about Auba’s future, in this moment I feel that he wants to continue with us and keep developing and help us to become a better team.
“He needs to feel he belongs somewhere that he believes we can achieve the goals that he has individually and collectively for a long time.
“So that’s what gives me positivity, as well because I see the enjoyment he is having, the work-rate that he puts in all the time, and the decisions that he makes every time. So that is where my feelings are coming from.”
From Arteta’s comments, it is clear that the club are keen on extending his contract. It is now up to both parties to sit together and finalize a deal, which might only happen once the season concludes.
Aubameyang has reached 50 league goals faster than anyone else has in the club’s glorious history and the numbers look even more promising given that he has played a lot of games on the wings, which speaks volumes of his contribution to the club.
His consistency is one of the primary reasons that the North London club are still in the hunt to get back into the Champions League. There are still six games left in the season and if he is able to chip in with a little more, the club still stand a chance of qualifying for the UCL.
A player of the caliber of Aubameyang will want to play at the highest possible level and it remains to be seen if the club can offer this opportunity to the forward. If Aubameyang was to commit his future to the club, it will be a huge boost for Mikel Arteta and his rebuild.