Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has hinted at staying put with Arsenal for the coming season amid recent talk of a move to rivals Manchester United.
Arsenal have a lot on their plate already with the transfer market and potential signings. The last thing the club and fans would want is unwanted talk about one of their star player leaving the club in the window. The Mirror are reporting on Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s future after the Gabon striker hinted at staying amid interest from clubs including Manchester United.
Arsenal’s disappointing finish to their season might have repercussions, including some of their star names leaving. So far only Aaron Ramsey and Danny Welbeck have left after their contracts expired. However, in the time between the end of the season and now, players like Granit Xhaka, Lucas Torreira, Laurent Koscielny and Alexandre Lacazette have all be linked with a move away.
In recent weeks, Aubameyang’s name has been mentioned more than once in that list above, with the striker being linked with clubs like Manchester United. Paris Saint-Germain were also linked, while Real Madrid’s name was also mentioned. Aubameyang had previously stated his dream at joining the La Liga giants, while in recent weeks a big money move to China had also been mooted.
His recent comments, however, indicated at him staying put at the club. He said, “I’d always admired Arsenal because of the big history and players like Thierry Henry. He was always an example for strikers and because I am also fast and score goals, I always looked up to him.
“He’s the reason why I took the No 14 shirt. To be honest, when I arrived I actually wanted No.7, but Micki [Henrikh Mkhitaryan] had already taken it. So I thought, ‘Why not follow in the footsteps of a legend?’ I’m just really proud to wear the 14 shirt and I hope to honour it.”
Manchester United are on the lookout for a new N0.9. There are growing concerns about the future of Romelu Lukaku, who spent too much time on the bench by his standards last season as he surrendered the striking role to Marcus Rashford. The Belgian is linked with a move to Inter Milan, while Rashford is courting interest from Barcelona.
With the strike duo’s future still unresolved, Manchester United are looking at various options in the market. They have reportedly looking to make a last-ditch offer for Griezmann, but the Frenchman has set sights on the move to Barcelona. Aubayemang’s name also resonates with United’s idea of signing a high-profile, established player to lead their attack next season.
As things stand, Aubameyang does not look like he’d be moving clubs. In the scenario that he does, he would not come cheap, as Arsenal would undoubtedly look to make a healthy profit on the £56 million they paid Borussia Dortmund for him.
For now, Manchester United need to look elsewhere at other targets; ones those are available in the market and do not cause much of a hassle when it comes to negotiating a deal. As for Arsenal and their fans, they could relax and look forward to seeing their star striker play up front, scoring goals in the Premier League.
