LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 27: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Arsenal FC acknowledges the fans after the UEFA Europa League round of 32 second leg match between Arsenal FC and Olympiacos FC at Emirates Stadium on February 27, 2020 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

Ornstein: Aubameyang could stay without signing extension

Apr 30, 2020

There’s still a chance Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang stays at Arsenal this summer without signing a contract extension, according to David Ornstein.

LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 11: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Arsenal looks on during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Arsenal FC at Selhurst Park on January 11, 2020 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images) — LONDON, ENGLAND: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Arsenal looks on during a Premier League match on January 11, 2020. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)

Speaking at the Arsenal Supporters Trust event on Wednesday, Ornstein said there’s a chance Aubameyang could stay at the club this summer, leave on a free transfer in 2021 and take a signing-on bonus with his new team.

Up to now, the two options the media focused on were Aubameyang leaving this summer or signing an extension. The assumption is that Arsenal wouldn’t want to let him leave for free, so those are the only remaining alternatives.

That doesn’t take into account that leaving on a free might work perfectly for Aubameyang, though. Maybe he wants to see out his contract and have the freedom to pick his new club after that. Perhaps he’s eyeing up that signing-on bonus. We don’t know.

From an Arsenal point of view, I wouldn’t be too upset. It’s certainly a worse option than signing him up to an extension, but I’d argue it’s better than selling and replacing.

Another year of Aubameyang goals is much safer than trying to buy a replacement in the current market. If he can get the team back into the Champions League, that will help fund signings afterwards.