Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says he has a ‘very clear plan’ for the club and that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang should already be aware that they are moving in the ‘right direction’.
The 30-year-old forward has only 12 months to run on his current deal with the gunners and talks over an extension have so far proven unsuccessful.
Aubameyang raised eyebrows amongst fans when he challenged that club to ‘do their work’ in negotiations to show him why he should sign a new deal.¹
‘Recently I have not received an offer to extend,’ Aubameyang told Telefoot.
‘But, of course, we have had exchanges with the club for a fair few months now ‘They know very well why so far nothing has happened. They have the keys. It is up to them to do their work and, after that, we will see how things go.
‘It is a turning point in my career, and I will be very frank with everyone. It will certainly be a very difficult decision to make. I still haven’t decided and we will see. It will maybe be the most important decision of my career.’
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Arteta is desperate to keep the player at the club and Arsenal are ready to make him the second highest paid player in the club’s history only behind Mesut Ozil.
However, Arteta says he does not need to sell a ‘vision’ of where he’s taking the club and said the players are already aware that they are moving towards better things.
Asked specificially about the future of Aubameyang, Arteta told Premier League Productions: ‘We have a very clear plan of what we want to do from now on. ‘The players know where the club is standing and we are moving in the right direction.’
Pressed further on Aubameyang’s future, Mikel Arteta was asked whether Champions League qualification at the end of the campaign could help convince him to stay.
‘Financially for the club the fact that in the last three years we haven’t had any Champions League it puts the club in a very difficult position,’ Arteta replied.
‘We have a structure that is designed to be in the Champions League so when we don’t have that financially it creates a lot of issues and instability. But that’s the situation we are facing. We have ten games to go, we have to go full gas and get as high as possible in the table.’
