Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang signed a new three-year contract last month at Arsenal, ending any lingering doubts about his future and ensuring Mikel Arteta retains the most important player in his squad. The Gabon international's previous deal had been set to expire in the summer of 2021 and he had been locked in talks over a renewal for several months as well as a transfer away from London.
Aubameyang will receive a significant pay rise on top of his previous £200,000-a-week deal which would now amount to £250,000-a-week plus bonuses which could make him the club’s highest earner. A player characterized by speed and dynamism at the age of 31 has shown no signs of slowing up. He has arguably been the best striker in the Premier League since arriving from Borussia Dortmund in January 2018, scoring 72 times in 111 appearances across all competitions.
Aubameyang saved Arsenal last season, when they faced the danger of missing out on European football for the first time in 25 years following an eighth-placed league finish. Aubameyang led from the front to help Arteta's side win the FA Cup and qualify for the Europa League. Aubameyang also ended last season as the club's top scorer with 29 goals -- which included 22 in the league, one goal shy of Golden Boot winner Jamie Vardy. He was also the only Arsenal player named in the Team of the Year.
This kind of response from Aubameyang isn’t just fluke. He has been showing his might since landing in London in January 2018 from Germany. He featured for Arsenal 13 times in the remaining games of the 2017-2018 season and wowed everyone by scoring 10 goals in the Premier League.
A striker of sheer quality who loves the club, went head to head with Salah and Mane in 2018-19, his first full season at the club where he shared the Golden Boot with both of them. So far in the Premier League, he has played 89 matches for Arsenal, scoring 55 goals and has made 13 assists. The Gabonese footballer is the fourth Arsenal player to score a competitive brace at Wembley Stadium, after Reg Lewis (1950 FA Cup final), Charlie Nicholas (1987 League Cup final) and Alexis Sánchez (2015 FA Cup semi-final).
Presently, Aubameyang holds the record of being the fastest player to reach 50 Premier League goals in Arsenal’s history. He achieved that in July when he scored a brace against Norwich City during his 79th Premier League match for the club.
How he scored the 55 goals
Headed goals 3
Goals with the right foot 43
Goals with left foot 8
Penalties scored 7
Freekicks scored 1
With a record like this Aubameyang should surely be the talisman of the club. What are your thoughts behind it?
