Mikel Arteta is giving it all he’s got to keep Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang at Arsenal as he now ties as the Premier League Top Goal Scorer with Jamie Vardy with both men on 17 goals.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, whose contract with Arsenal expires in at the end of the 2021 season, has now scored 19 goals for the club and put him level with Leicester City forward Jamie Vardy as the Premier Leagues 2019/20 leading goal scorers.
His 2 goals in the Premier League match on Saturday helped Mikel Arteta maintain his unbeaten streak since January with Arsenal beating Everton 3-2.
“Before I took over I had my questions about him but he has shown his commitment,” Arteta said
“I wanted him to show if he wanted to do it and do it physically.
“I’m so happy with him. He is scoring important goals and as a captain he is giving a great example to everyone else with the way he is working defensively.”
Arteta is quite aware that Barcelona have their eye set on his Arsenal captain who he views as “most important player” given his recent performances.
Acknowledging Aubameyang’s disappointment in his sides unimpressive results in European competitions in the past years, Arteta hopes that the recent turn around in the clubs performance since he signed on as manager might help keep the team captain loyal to the Gunners once his contract elapses.
“They are completely right to want him because he is a superb player,” continued Arteta. “It’s right that big teams like him. Hopefully, we can convince him this is right place to be.
“I think it’s been tough for him because he has big expectations. He wants to play in the biggest competitions and with the best players. We have to help him do that. He needs to feel fulfilled.
“He is our most important player, no doubt the impact he has in this team. We will have to convince him to stay with us.”
Arsenal who currently find themselves at 9th spot on the Premier League table still have ways to go in their battle to earn a top 4 Champions League qualifying spot but should they maintain their current form and with a little bit of luck, this still remains a possibility.
