Newcastle? Barcelona? Juventus? Where next for Arsenal's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang?
- Michael Graham
- 16 December 2021
With his career at the Emirates looking all but over, what does the future hold for the Gabon striker?
A lengthy 'will he, won't he' contract saga was ended with the Gunners paying a fortune to keep hold of their then star man, only for the player's form and product to fall off a cliff soon after.
It reached a nadir this month when he was left out of the Gunners' squad altogether for the wins over Southampton and West Ham due to a disciplinary breach. Stripped of the captaincy, he was accused of lacking "commitment" and "passion" by manager Mikel Arteta.
At this point, Aubameyang's Arsenal career looks all but over, but there are sure to be plenty of takers for the 32-year-old.
Newcastle
It's hard to mention just about any player who might be soon on the move without suggesting Newcastle as a possible destination.
That makes them perhaps the only Premier League club who would be willing to match Aubameyang's hefty Arsenal wages, and there is absolutely no doubt they could use him.
Barcelona
For once, Barcelona are not in a very envious position at all. They are well off the pace in La Liga and carrying crippling debt.
That means they need to find a way to improve their team without splashing out much in transfer fees.
Barcelona's position is also complicated by losing Sergio Aguero, with the former Manchester City man forced to retire due to a heart condition.
Perhaps, then, some proven quality in Aubameyang may well appeal to them, particularly if they can negotiate a cut-price deal to get him off the Arsenal payroll. You'll get around 7/2 on Barcelona being Aubameyang's next club, so the bookies definitely seem to fancy it.
Inter Milan
Inter Milan are riding high again at the top of Serie A despite losing Romelu Lukaku to Chelsea in the summer.
Lautaro Martinez and Edin Dzeko have picked up the goalscoring slack and have bagged 18 goals between them in Serie A this season already.
They are a club who have found success by recruiting very experienced players in need of a fresh start and Aubameyang is sure to hit their radar should Arsenal decide to move him on in January.
Paris Saint-Germain
Paris Saint-Germain are, unsurprisingly, running away with the Ligue 1 title this season.
Of course, attack is the very least of PSG's worries. In Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar, they boast the most exciting front three in the world right now.
It is, though, the Champions League that Paris Saint-Germain truly covet, and they may look for ways to keep their big three fresh for the competition.
That would mean adding some experienced quality in forward areas in the New Year, and Aubameyang certainly fits that particular bill, even if the bookies consider it a relatively long shot at around 14/1.
Real Madrid
With 39 goals in 17 La Liga games this season, scoring has not been a problem for Real Madrid.
Karim Benzema and Vinicius Junior are both in double figures, but they are not customarily a club who rest on their laurels.
Carlo Ancelotti will be looking to augment his attacking options with proven pedigree, someone who can slot in across his front three and help Real Madrid's Champions League prospects.
It would make Aubameyang a very viable option for Los Blancos.
Juventus
If the Serie A season finished today, Juventus wouldn't even qualify for the Europa Conference. That is how poor they have been.
Luckily for them, there is still plenty of soccer to be played, though January can't come soon enough for the Old Lady.
Juventus' biggest problem by far has been scoring goals. To put it into context, Sassuolo, Empoli, Bologna, and Verona have all comfortably out-scored Juventus in Serie A this season.
It's not hard to see that they need some serious help in the final third, and Aubameyang could be the man to provide it. Expect odds of around 10/1 if you want to back it.
