It can be recalled that, on the January deadline day, about two years ago, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang made a sensational transfer from Arsenal to Barcelona. The Gabon international, who had been leading Arsenal’s attack, departed the Gunners for free, despite signing a lucrative £350,000-a-week deal just over a year earlier, intended to keep him at the Emirates for three seasons.
Arteta had played a pivotal role in securing Aubameyang’s commitment until 2023. However, issues arose, surfacing publicly in March 2021 when Arteta, citing “disciplinary reasons,” dropped Aubameyang for the North London Derby.
Aubameyang faced criticism for arriving late due to traffic, but this wasn’t the first time he had reported tardily. The situation escalated in December 2021 when Arteta was compelled to drop the striker again. Aubameyang had returned late to Arsenal after being granted permission to visit his ailing mother in France.
The final straw for Arteta occurred when Aubameyang independently travelled to Barcelona before any agreement between the Catalan club and Arsenal was finalized. Despite the striker’s eagerness to join Barcelona, even they were surprised by his sudden appearance. After Aubameyang’s departure, discontent arose among some, questioning Arteta’s decision to sell a striker without securing a replacement.
Notably, Arsenal enthusiast Piers Morgan expressed scepticism on TalkSPORT, stating, “I watched the whole Amazon documentary [All or Nothing: Arsenal], and I am still not convinced about the whole Aubameyang thing. The idea that it has been good for Arsenal… that we send him for nothing to Barcelona, and he bangs in goals for fun at one of the biggest teams in the world.”
TNT Sports highlighted the subsequent developments, noting, “Then a few months later, he signs for Chelsea for £12m plus a top player [Marcos Alonso]… we get none of that. Now he will lead the line for Chelsea. The fact he has gone back to work with Thomas Tuchel confirms to me that Mikel Arteta is a rookie manager and did not know how to manage proper world-class talent.”
In response to the Aubameyang saga, Arteta secured the signature of Gabriel Jesus, considered by many as a fitting response. Jesus had an impressive first season at Arsenal, but injuries have marred his performance this term. Despite rumours linking Arsenal to Brentford’s Ivan Toney in the January transfer window, landing the forward on deadline day seems unlikely.
