Arteta Optimistic Gabon’s Aubemeyang Will Stay At Arsenal

Arsenal should not be a club that sells their best player in order to fund improvements to the squad, manager Mikel Arteta has said amid continuing speculation over the future of striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Aubameyang, whose deal ends in June 2021, has said he was at a turning point in his career and it would be a difficult decision whether to extend his contract or not.

The 31-year-old Gabon international became the fastest Arsenal player to reach 50 Premier League goals after scoring twice in their 4-0 win over Norwich City on Wednesday.

“If you ask me, we cannot be a team that has to sell its best player to try to bring in (others) and improve our squad,” Arteta told a news conference ahead of Arsenal’s trip to Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday.

“Again, we don’t know how the market is going to be. Obviously, we are putting different plans together to see what we are going to be able to do. At the moment the uncertainty is still big as well.

“It is just my opinion… but when you ask me in that moment how I feel about Auba’s future. At this moment, I feel that he wants to continue with us and keep developing and help us to become a better team,” he added.

Arsenal are currently eighth and still have a chance of qualifying for next season’s Europa League.