Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang wants Arsenal to increase his wages from £180kpw to a minimum of £250k before he will sign a new deal.
Ahead of the FA Cup final on Saturday, the Daily Mail splashed a story about Aubameyang trying to get a move to Chelsea in January but they apparently weren’t prepared to meet his wage demands.
Currently earning £180k-per-week at Arsenal, the Mail then followed that article up on Monday with one about how Arsenal will have to sell before they buy, nothing we all didn’t already know.
They decided it deserved another back page, however, despite being recycled news for the most part.
Within that piece they note that Arsenal are open to big offers for Alexandre Lacazette, and Hector Bellerin, while Mesut Ozil, Sokratis, Matteo Guendouzi, Lucas Torreira, Shkodran Mustafi, Rob Holding, and Sead Kolasinac are all up for sale. Henrikh Mkhitryan will join Roma despite the Daily Mail saying he’s still up for sale.
Seven of the 10 ‘heroes’ listed by the tabloid didn’t even start the final, five didn’t play a single minute, four weren’t even in the squad and only two played the full 90
As for Auba, Mikel Arteta is confident he will stay but to get him to do that the club must now meet his wage demands, or find a way to get him to lower them.
Arsenal are expected to hold talks with his reps this week with the player said to want ‘upwards of £250,000 before he will consider extending his stay’.
If they cannot get him to sign, Arsenal will consider selling him this summer rather than losing him for free next year.
The fact that he can leave for free next summer also means Aubameyang knows he can get a bumper payday from another club if they don’t have to pay for him and the Daily Mail state he wants the club to acknowledge that in their offer to him.