Arsenal are open to offers for former club captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in January, sources have told reporters.
The 32-year-old was stripped of the captaincy last week after a disciplinary breach and has been training away from his teammates.
Sources claim that the Gunners are ready to sound out interest from Europe’s top clubs to gauge whether a deal that suits all parties is possible.
Sportscliffs.com reported that Spanish side Barcelona wants to sign the Gabonese on loan.
The size of that contract is an issue for potential suitors now, although reports in Italy have suggested Juventus could be interested in taking Aubameyang on loan if an agreement can be reached over his wages. Inter Milan and AC Milan have also been mooted as possible destinations.
Chelsea were also monitoring Aubameyang last summer and although Blues manager Thomas Tuchel remains a fan of a player he worked with at Borussia Dortmund, there is no suggestion at this stage that the club are keen on a deal. In any case, Arsenal would find it difficult to negotiate with a London rival.
Aubameyang previously enjoyed a close relationship with Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and sources claim the Spaniard has not entirely ruled out the possibility of bringing him back into the fold.
But several incidents have eroded his trust in Aubameyang, the latest of which saw him return late from a specially sanctioned overseas trip to visit his unwell mother in France.
Aubameyang was also dropped from the squad to face Tottenham in March just hours before kick-off after arriving late for a team meeting and sources have told repoerter that timekeeping has repeatedly been an issue, something Arteta feels undermines the more disciplined environment he is trying to create.
Meanwhile Arsenal youngster Eddie Nketiah, who scored a hat-trick in Arsenal’s 5-1 win over Sunderland in Tuesday’s EFL Cup quarterfinal, also has six months remaining on his existing deal.
Nketiah spoke after the game and obviously a happy man after he got the hattrick.
“It’s amazing,” he said. “It’s great to go through to the next round, and obviously lovely to score a hat-trick in the process.
“I am just really grateful to my team-mates for the assists, and grateful to be out there to contribute.
“It’s a different feeling [to my debut against Norwich] but that night will always live long as a special memory. It’s another one to add to the collection and obviously it’s nice to get my first senior hat-trick and now I’m looking for and hungry for more.
“My family were here watching and to share that moment with the supporters is great for me, and the boys have signed [the match ball] so I will keep it and remember it. It’s a good moment.”
Mikel Arteta praised the young player as he said he always contribute anytime is called upon to play and also has smell for goals.
“Every time we have played him, he has responded with goals, with assists, with his work-rate and he continues to do so. He is getting better and better every day,” Arteta told Arsenal Media.
“He has the smell for goals. He knows where the ball is going to land, his timing, his movement around the box, the capacity he has to finish with different [finishes] like he has today. We are really happy with him.”
Arteta also said that he really don’t know whether the youngster can stay back because he needs game time.
“The way we planned the squad and the way his situation looked in the window, he had a lot of options to go and we thought that was probably the best way to go. But the way we assembled the squad the situation changed and he decided to stay and it was hard to found minutes for him. But he’s finding the space right now and is using his minutes really well.
“We are trying. It’s not about anything else but minutes. He wants gametime, he wants to be on that field and that is the only reason to say, ‘Can I do it here?’ That’s the question. We all want him to stay.”
Source: ESPN
