Alan Shearer has claimed that Arsenal winning the FA Cup could be enough to convince star striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to stay at the club, but Chelsea currently stand in our way.
We will know our opponents all-too well, having cup up against them every season for some time, as well as our disappointing final loss to them in the Europa League last summer also, but this one feels different.
Mikel Arteta appears to be doing the impossible at present, getting a leaky defence to keep clean sheets, and getting a team that was showing zero fight and motivation to now be fired up and fighting for their shirts.
We’ve witnessed a miraculous turnaround at the Emirates this season, but we still face the prospect of ending the campaign without qualifying for Europe going into the new season, with our team currently sat down in tenth spot with two league matches left to play.
Alan Shearer claims that winning the FA Cup could well solve their biggest problem, by convincing Aubameyang to extend his stay in North London.
He told his column in The Sun: “The key issue right now with Arsenal is what is going to happen with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who scored those two superb breakaway goals against Manchester City at Wembley.
“Sixty-six goals in 93 starts is quite some record for a team who have not exactly been flying. One of the many impressive things about Aubameyang is he has still got that blistering pace, even at 31.
“I suspect Arsenal winning the Cup could help persuade him to stay.
“It would be a massive blow to the north Londoners if they lose him, not just for his goals but also it will take an absolute fortune to replace him.”
Does Aubameyang look more likely to stay than leave currently? Will the final against Chelsea make the decision for him?
Patrick
My understanding is that Auba is happy to stay assuming his demands are met. Arsenal are putting all deals off until the final kick of the season so they can draw up budgets and only then start working through their to-do list.
If I were negotiating the deal, my concern would be that he would only be worth the £250k for another year, after which time his value would drop. That said, I think Auba has earned that right both on and off the field. The risk of having an unproductive 34-year-old on the books for such a salary would be offset by the symbolism of the power of Arsenal to retain world class players, in contrast to days gone by.
I was concerned that he might become less productive but many have said he is as fit as a flea so hope he can have the longevity of Teddy Sheringham. I did wonder if in your last sentence you were displaying an element of irony
He could become our own Vardy, who even at 33-34 is still a world-class striker. Signing Auba on a long term deal is going to be as important as targeting Partey this summer.