Why Arsenal fans will be happy to see Aubameyang leave for Barcelona
FT Desk
- 31 Jan 2022 14:08 GMT
- 5 min read
Arsenal’s January transfer window hasn’t exactly gone to plan, with the club losing a number of first team players without really signing any replacements.
However, among the numerous useful stars that could and perhaps should have stayed at the London club, one player that fans may be happy to see the last of is Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
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Although the Gabon striker was once captain and the club’s leading talisman, form and misbehaviour off the pitch have soured Aubameyang’s relationship with Mikel Arteta and the club.
Add to that just seven goals in all competitions this season and it leaves little confusion as to why Arsenal were more than willing to consider a loan offer from Barcelona late on in the January window.
And when we look at some crucial stats with regards to Aubameyang’s time at Arsenal, we can see why fans may be happy to see the back of the troubled striker.
Been told there's little prospect of Dembele being included in any deal with #afc for Aubameyang. Barca having to get creative given wage situation & talks ongoing with #afc over Aubameyang, who flew to Spain more to push through a deal rather than it being a sign of an agreement
— James Olley (@JamesOlley) January 31, 2022
Aubameyang stopped trying
Perhaps the most pertinent criticism thrown at Aubameyang by Arsenal fans is that he’s stopped trying as hard for the team since he signed a long-term deal a few years ago.
Aubameyang signed a new contract with Arsenal on 15 September 2020 and when we look at his stats for the club before and after that date there does seem to be a clear contrast.
Prior to his new contract, the Gabon striker had scored 123 goals and bagged 31 assists in 111 games. Since he put pen to paper on a new deal he’s only scored 20 goals and picked up a further six assists in 52 games.
When we break that down to contributions per 90 minutes of football, it suggests that Aubameyang has gone from 1.05 goals and assists per 90 to just 0.59 per 90.
In the striker’s defence, he did catch and then get hospitalised by malaria following the signing of his new contract and may still be recovering from that illness. But the stats certainly suggest Aubameyang hasn’t been quite himself on the pitch in some time.
