Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is now expected to seal a transfer to Barcelona in January following lengthy links with the Catalan giants.
The Gabon international has just been stripped of the Arsenal captaincy this morning after supposed disciplinary problems, and this is surely the beginning of the end of his time at the Emirates Stadium.
It’s been a difficult season for Aubameyang, with the 32-year-old looking a shadow of his former self with some below-par performances on the pitch.
It now seems clear there have been problems away from the field too, and Mikel Arteta has made the bold decision to take the captain’s armband away from him.
Ladbrokes are now confident that Aubameyang will now be heading out of the club in the next transfer window, with the bookies offering 7/1 on him joining Barcelona.
Alex Apati of Ladbrokes said: “Aubameyang’s days at Arsenal look like they’re numbered, and having long been linked with a move to Barcelona, the odds suggest a deal could be struck in the coming weeks.”
Barcelona may need a new signing up front as Sergio Aguero looks set to retire from football, and they’ll surely be tempted by a player of this calibre, even if he’s not been at his best for a while.
It’s disappointing to see things pan out this way for Aubameyang, who looked set for legendary status at the north London club not so long ago.
The prolific front-man scored twice in Arsenal’s 2020 FA Cup final win over Chelsea, and then signed a new long-term contract to commit his future to the club.
It’s all gone wrong for him now and it seems possible we won’t see him in a red and white shirt again.