Aubameyang's new contract offer revealed as FA Cup hero offered Arsenal challenge

Arsenal's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang celebrates with the trophy after winning the FA Cup [COURTESY]

Mikel Arteta has challenged Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to commit himself to the club and become one of Arsenal’s all time strikers.

Arsenal will begin serious negotiations now they know their spending power with Aubameyang wanting a three year deal worth £250,000-a-week and the club are ready to make a huge financial push to keep him.

Gunners boss Arteta believes he has sold his vision for the future to Aubameyang and now it is down to the club to find the right deal and getting into Europe will make a huge difference in being able to afford it.

But Arteta also believes that 31-year-old Aubameyang can become of the Arsenal greats after his FA Cup final heroics in the traditions of Thierry Henry, Ian Wright and Dennis Bergkamp.

Arsenal's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scores their second goal [COURTESY]

Arteta said: “We always had incredible strikers at this club and Auba deserves to be named and compared with the big names

"By winning trophies he will be closer to that the longer he stays there. Hopefully we can have him for longer.

“The biggest problem was to convince him to work the way he was working.

"He was going to get more reward and more respect, and our respect would go to admiration. Admiration from his team-mates and the people who have been with him and also from the fans.

“It (goalscoring) is the most difficult thing in football, he makes it look simple.”

Aubameyang’s current £180,000-a-week deal expires next summer but his contract includes a 12 month extension clause which must be triggered by December 31 which would see his wages go up significantly and, with a bonus, would cost the club around £20m for one season.

Arsenal want to give him a completely new deal to remove that financial penalty but Aubameyang knows that he is in a strong bargaining position.

It is by no means certain he will stay despite Arteta’s overwhelming confidence as the finances will be difficult and Barcelona, Inter Milan and other clubs are looking but his age means there will be no sell-on value so may mean his options are limited.

Arsenal do want to do the deal quickly and are also making other plans which are now boosted by the club getting into Europe, they can bank on around £30million and will look to sell Matteo Guendouzi to raise cash as they look for a midfielder and defensive options.

Atletico Madrid’s Thomas Partey is their No.1 choice in midfield, they have been offered Bareclona’s Philippe Coutinho on loan and that now becomes a very real option if they can agree the finances.

Arsenal are desperate to offload Mesut Ozil who has one year left on his £350,000-a-week contract.

He does not want to leave, loves living in London and wants to see out his contract. Arsenal’s best and only hope is that they can find a taker and subsidise part of his wages.

Arteta stressed reaching Europe was vital for the club to move forward and he also knows that he has the full support of the Arsenal hierarchy and the Kroenkes have twice underwritten the club’s finances for last summer’s transfer splurge and after the cost of the pandemic.

He added: “I have presented my vision and my plans and all together we will try our best to get the club in the best possible position.

“I know how important it was as we needed to be in Europe. It is a must for our club and financially because it is a bigger step forward in order to allow us to do more things in the future and have a better structure financially.

“I am very pleased for both things - winning the trophy and having the option to play in Europe.”

 

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