Although the fans will still see Arsenal as being among the best teams in the country, it’s becoming clear that they struggle to compete with the elite teams in a financial sense.
It means they might struggle to keep a player once they reach an elite level, but there’s also a worrying trend of their best players leaving for reduced fees due to their contract situation.
Robin van Persie and Alexis Sanchez both left when their contracts started to run down, and a report from The Daily Mail has indicated that Pierre Emerick Aubameyang is approaching a similar place.
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They report that he wants £300k per week to stay, which will probably be too much for The Gunners to afford. His contract is due to expire at the end of next season, so this means that Arsenal may be forced to sell him this Summer.
It could be a tough one for the club to get right, his record of 61 goals in 96 games is sensational, but he does also turn 31 in the Summer and pace is a huge part of his game.
It’s easy to see him declining over the next few years, so it might even make sense to cash in on him and use that money to get a replacement and even strengthen other areas if possible.
It might be a tough one for the fans to take, but it seems preferable to being stuck with him on a giant deal if his form does tail off.