Being made Arsenal captain seems to have been the moment that it all started to go wrong for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang at the Emirates Stadium.
The Gabon international is expected to finalise a transfer to Barcelona after passing a medical with the Catalan giants, according to the Guardian, and many Arsenal fans will be disappointed to see things end like this with their former hero.
Aubameyang was an exciting signing when he joined from Borussia Dortmund four years ago, and he provided some memorable moments in the red and white of Arsenal, most notably with his match-winning brace in the FA Cup final against Chelsea in 2020.
According to the Telegraph, however, it seemed clear from early on that Aubameyang was not really suited to being made the club captain, and that could be where it all started to go wrong.
The report explains how it was only really though chance that the 32-year-old was even given the armband, which happened after Granit Xhaka had it removed.
Aubameyang never really seemed to adjust to his new responsibilities, with the player not representing the club at meetings with other Premier League captains, according to the Telegraph, and not writing a captain’s column in the matchday programme this season.
Unsurprisingly, this pressure took away the freedom with which Aubameyang used to play, while it will also have hurt his pride when Mikel Arteta stripped him of the captaincy.
Overall, it’s the latest in a long line of very poorly-handled sagas by Arsenal.
You’ve written that of Aubameyang. Good. Start writing that of Ozil; start writing about Arteta’s quarrel with Klopp; with Burnley coach……….the list may be endless. Let us see where this will lead Arsenal to.
This is rubbish and Arteta just ruined the next 10 years of Arsenal. Arteta lacks a backbone to say no to his bosses and his cowardice has prevented Auba getting his 100th goal for a club he loves. I bet everyone is leaving at the end of the season and I hope Saka and Smith-Rowe leave this shitty club because one this situation will be a personal experience. Once you get to a position of world class at this club, the weight of your wages becomes a source of elimination. Ozil signed a hefty contract equal to his standard of quality and yet was unceremoniously kicked out of the club and Auba went to see his sick mom and sent away to Barca. This is my formal resignation to a club I once loved wholeheartedly, I can only apologise to everyone who followed my lead at home, friends and gfs for seeing this club turn into an ordinary mid table team. At least all top 5 teams already know that they are starting the season with six points from Arsenal. The next 5 years it will be a relegation battle for this team and eventually Kroenke will let everyone know that he’s a Spurs fan