Barcelona are growing increasingly confident of landing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang ahead of the summer, according to Express Sport, which could set a dangerous precedent at the Emirates.
The Gabon international has entered the final 18 months of his contract with the Gunners, and now questions have been raised concerning his long-term future with the club, with Champions League qualification once again looking unlikely this season.
Barcelona are said to be keen on signing the 30-year old this summer as they look for more firepower, having been forced to sign former Middlesbrough striker Martin Braithwaite on a short-term deal in order to add squad depth.
Since signing for Arsenal from Borussia Dortmund in 2018, Aubameyang has scored 49 times in 74 Premier League appearances, and replacing him could be a mammoth task for the Gunners.
Not only could it be tough to find an adequate replacement, if Arsenal lose Aubameyang then they may also set a dangerous precedent in North London, that being that elite players are better off playing elsewhere.
The Gunners couldn’t prevent Alexis Sanchez from leaving for Manchester United in 2018, and they were only able to hold onto Mesut Ozil by paying him an obscene amount of money, with his weekly salary reported to be set at £350,000.
Arsenal face a battle to regain their top four spot, having not played in the Champions League since the 2016/17 season, and constantly losing their elite players is an issue.
Perhaps this trend suggests that the Gunners need to accept that a ground-up rebuild is necessary. With a hungry young coach in Mikel Arteta, and a talented crop of young players such as Gabriel Martinelli, Matteo Guendouzi and Bukayo Saka, maybe Arsenal could benefit from focusing more on their younger players.
However, being a club that cannot keep hold of their best players could set a dangerous precedent for the club’s long-term ambitions.
