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Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has signed a new three-year contract at Arsenal, putting an end to lingering doubts about his future and ensuring that Mikel Arteta retains the most important player on his squad.
The club captain’s commitment to a new deal had been an open secret for several weeks, but Tuesday’s announcement means any potential saga is over. Last week Arteta said fans can feel “quite relaxed” about the outcome of the negotiations, which escalated after Arsenal’s FA Cup victory on August 1.
Aubameyang, who turned down interest from elsewhere to stay at Arsenal, will receive a significant pay increase on top of his previous £ 200,000-a-week contract and could become the club’s highest income.
The forward turned 31 in June, but a player characterized by speed and dynamism has shown no signs of slowing down. He has arguably been the best striker in the Premier League since arriving from Borussia Dortmund in January 2018, scoring 72 goals in 111 appearances in all competitions. Two of them came in the FA Cup final against Chelsea and Aubameyang had also scored both goals in the semi-final victory against Manchester City. In two often torrid years for Arsenal, his blistering form has been a constant and Arteta will now aim to build a side around his talisman.
“Signing for this special club was never in doubt,” said Aubameyang. “It is thanks to our fans, my teammates, my family and everyone at this club that I feel like I belong here. We can achieve great things together. We have something exciting here and I think the best is yet to come for Arsenal. “
Arteta’s predecessor Unai Emery awarded Aubameyang the Arsenal captaincy last November after Granit Xhaka was stripped of the bracelet. However, doubts remained about the Gabon international team’s appetite for a longer stay. He would have been out of contract in 2021 and it was feared that Arsenal’s continued absence from the Champions League was a major factor in the thinking of an admired player in Europe’s top clubs. But he has looked noticeably more at ease since Arteta’s arrival and the security of his future becomes yet another triumph for the manager, who has already been instrumental in persuading Bukayo Saka to sign a new contract and securing Willian.
“He is a magnificent player with an incredible mentality,” said Arteta. “He is an important leader for the team and a big part of what we are building. He wants to measure up to the best players in the world and make his mark. He can do that here. “
Arteta will look to use this as a springboard to further strengthen himself, but Arsenal need money to get in before any major signings can be made, such as Thomas Partey from Atlético de Madrid or Houssem Aouar from Lyon. They hope to sell goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez to Aston Villa for £ 20 million, with the player agreeing to terms and completing a medical exam on Sunday. That transfer has been delayed by minor issues at the Arsenal winger, but is expected to take place this week.
Midfielder Lucas Torreira could sign for Torino or Fiorentina on loan and Sead Kolasinac, also in disgrace, could leave if the right offer came. Kolasinac had talks with Arteta recently, in which he was told that he will have to displace Kieran Tierney to regain his position on the team, but he intends to fight for his place unless things change before the transfer window closes. .
