special- Arsenal captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has opted to sign a new deal with the Gunners as he is unwilling to wait until January for potential offers that have been mooted by rival Premier League clubs and European giants.
Aubameyang’s current Arsenal deal was due to expire next year, with the club at risk of losing their star striker as a free agent if an extension could not be agreed. But a new three-year deal has now been agreed by both sides, and will be announced before the Gunners begin their 2020/21 Premier League campaign at Fulham.
Aubameyang has scored 71 goals in 110 appearances for Arsenal/Pool/Getty Images
Arsenal were at one stage considering selling the 30-year-old amid ongoing concerns about any major financial outlay being approved, with him weighing up his options as early as January 2020 with a view to potentially moving on. Was considering.
But Aubameyang’s importance to the team became even more evident in the closing stages of last season, scoring braces against both Manchester City and Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-finals and final, leading the club to an otherwise difficult campaign. won a big trophy for
90 minutes Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea were all interested in signing Aubameyang, but none were ready to make a formal approach this summer, Can reveal. Instead, they all told him they would likely offer him a contract in January 2021 to complete a deal in the summer when he was set to become a free agent.
A number of clubs, including Liverpool and Chelsea, approached Aubameyang about making a potential offer in January/Pool/Getty Images
Aubameyang has not received any other offers before this stated timeframe, which would mean being ready for the 2020/21 season anyway. Deciding that he did not want to wait to see what offers might come his way in January, he opted to accept the deal on the table from Arsenal.
The deal is expected to run until 2023, committing the player’s immediate future to the Gunners and ensuring he leads a developing youth squad overseen by manager Mikel Arteta and technical director Edo Gasper. It is in the midst of reconstruction.
The future of his striker partner Alexandre Lacazette is less certain though, and at this stage a move to the Emirates Stadium looks likely for the 29-year-old Frenchman.
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