By Daniel Finton
As the January transfer window comes to a close, Arsenal have still not yet made any new additions to our relatively barren squad. Numerous injuries plague the team at the moment and it appears as if the powers that be have no intention of purchasing any reinforcements during the mid-season window.
In fact, the latest rumour that has depressingly emerged and has unfortunately managed to gain some traction is that linking Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang with a move away to Spain. Barcelona are said to be showing interest in a loan move for Aubameyang this month given the injury to their starting striker, Luis Suarez. Suarez will be sidelined for the next four months and La Blaugrauna are never ones to let something like an injury derail their season, quite contrary to the likes of us.
Would Aubameyang move away from a club that currently sit tenth in the Premier League and have managed only 6 wins from 23 Premier league games this season? I’ll let you answer that. The Gabonese international has scored 14 Premier League goals this season for the gunners, maintaining his red hot goal-scoring form that he has possessed since arriving. That equates to nearly half of our goals this season, given the fact that the entire team, collectively, have only managed a pathetic 30 goals total this campaign.
Barcelona are inevitably a far great proposition for a player. The La Liga Champions currently sit at the top the table once again, level on points with Real Madrid. The Messi led, Spanish champions, have scored an impressive 50 goals in 20 matches.
The current Arsenal captain has insisted his future remains under the jurisdiction of Mikel Arteta “for now”. However, I have a hard time believing the idea of a move to a team as massive as Barcelona would not entice him. Despite his career as an individual being so impressive, his trophy cabinet remains rather empty. To many players, that is unimportant, but Aubameyang does not strike me as such an individual. Furthermore, Champions league football and moreover, Arsenal’s lack thereof, will surely start to frustrate big name players within the infrastructure. It is only a matter of time before the likes of Alexandre Lacazette, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and Bernd Leno start to question whether or not remaining in North London would be what is best for their career.
Obviously, like most, I do not believe we should sell, loan, or even let anybody look at or think of signing our superstar striker. In the current squad of rather mediocre players, he is one of the few I find myself having an inkling of admiration for and it would be upsetting if he made a departure. Sadly, given the rather futile state the club is in, it would be difficult to hold any resentment towards him if he did decide to leave. I’m not sure how much control we, as a club, have over the situation.
Aubameyang is the really hot girlfriend the board do not deserve to have and if he wants to leave, they would be to blame because they are the ones responsible for the current shit-show we find ourselves in.
I really do not want to see another world class striker, donning the number 14 to leave for the sunny shores of Spain once again, the pain of the previous was hurtful enough. However, it is very much a real possibility.
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