Arsenal allowed Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to join Barcelona in the last transfer window for “free”.
The striker had been the highest earner at the club and they wanted him off their books.
The Gabonese star had a troubled last few months at the Emirates and he was even banished from the first team and stripped of the captain’s armband.
It seemed there was no way back for him when he was left at home while the rest of the Gunners’ squad headed to Dubai for a training camp.
He would eventually seal a deadline day switch to Barcelona after the club reportedly terminated his contract.
However, The Times reveals Arsenal agreed to pay him £7m to become a free agent.
That is, however, a small fee compared to the £29m they would have paid him in wages if he had run down his deal at the Emirates.
Just Arsenal Opinion
£7m is small compared to the wages Auba earned and the negative publicity he brought to the club.
The former Borussia Dortmund star remains one of the most talented players we have signed, but his off-field antics overshadowed his on-field reputation at the club.
We can only wish him the very best in his new adventure.