Mikel Arteta has offered his perspective on an outburst from recently departed Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang proclaiming the Arsenal boss was behind his exit.
The 32-year-old joined Spanish giants Barcelona on deadline-day after a bizarre chain of events saw the striker fly to Catalunya, be told a loan move was off, then fly home, before a permanent move was confirmed with hours remaining in the window.
Following four tumultuous years in North London, the Gunners’ club captain’s relationship with Arteta deteriorated before ultimately reaching the point of no return.
Behind the demise; the Gabonese international’s conduct behind the scenes. Resulting in a series of disciplinaries allegedly relating to punctuality among other problems.
Last week, Aubameyang protested that his abrupt move away from the club wasn’t through his own doing, exclaiming, “I think the problem was only with Arteta and he made the decision”.
Speaking in a press conference ahead of Arsenal’s trip to Wolves on Thursday night, his former head coach responded to the comments.
That’s his opinion, that’s what he said and you have to respect that. I’m extremely grateful for what Auba has done and his contribution. The way I see myself in that relationship is the solution, not the problem.
I’ve been the solution, 100%. I can look in the eye of anybody. I do a lot of things wrong for sure. The intention all the time is the best — and not for me, it’s for the club and the team.
I think it ended up in the best possible way for everybody. We all made the decision and the best thing was to move on.
Whether the move was in the best interests of all parties is yet to be seen, but Arsenal’s failure to strengthen an already weakened area up front suggests they are in a worse position than prior to the January transfer window.
In the weeks leading up to his departure, Aubameyang had been outcasted from Arteta’s plans, forcing the Spaniard to turn to the experienced Alexandre Lacazette and academy graduate Eddie Nketiah.
Neither two have managed to surmount a push for the coveted number 9 role, bringing into question how costly Arsenal’s lack of business last month may prove in their quest for Champions League qualification.
In defence of the two, Arteta said:
They are both more than capable of scoring for us and have shown that over the years. When we have to replace or improve the squad, we can only be with a player we are certain of.
As a result of Aubameyang’s switch, the aforementioned are now poised to fight for a starting spot before their side look to invest in the summer.
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