Former Frence striker and Premiership legend, Thierry Henry has admitted that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang may have to leave Arsenal if he wishes to fulfil his career ambitions.
Arsenal striker, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Photo credit: Football.London
Aubameyang has been a major hit at the Emirates Stadium since his arrival halfway through the 2017-18 season, scoring 61 goals in 97 games and finishing as the Premier League’s joint-top-scorer last season.
But the 30-year-old’s contract at the Gunners expires in the summer of 2021 and talks over an extension have failed to progress.
Club legend Thierry Henry admits that while he hopes the striker remains in north London, he cannot convince him to stay when he also left the Gunners to join Barcelona in 2007, where he went on to win the Champions League.
“Everybody will do whatever they have to do. How am I going to say to someone to stay when I left? Things happen but that doesn’t kill the love that you have for a place,” he told Sky Sports.
“As an Arsenal fan you want him to stay, but as a football player he will assess the situation with his family, with his dad, and see what is the best for them. If you’re an Arsenal man then you don’t want him to leave, but the guy has a career and I don’t know what’s in his head.
“All I know is that we are definitely going to miss his goals if he does leave. He does score goals and if you take the goals of Aubameyang away, it’s a tough one.
“I respect people and what they have to go through and what desire or dream they have, but as an Arsenal man, any Arsenal fan would be crazy to say he should leave.
“I don’t want him to leave, but on the other side you have to understand the guy has a life and maybe he needs to see something else. Who knows? I hope that he stays.”
Aubameyang’s high wage demands appear to be the stumbling block to him agreeing a new deal at the Emirates Stadium and he has attracted the attention of Europe’s biggest clubs.
Inter Milan have shown an interest while Barcelona and Real Madrid are also keeping tabs on his situation.
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