Mikel Arteta warned against falling out with more superstars at Arsenal after Aubameyang exit

Mikel Arteta warned against falling out with more superstars at Arsenal after Aubameyang exit

Rene Otinga
updated at April 12, 2023 at 7:55 PM
  • Martin Keown has urged Mikel Arteta to stop the trend of falling out with big players af the club
  • Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was the latest player to leave the Emirates after a reported fall out with the manager
  • The Gabon international has since joined Barcelona on a free transfer and has already began training with the squad
  • Keown said he has never seen a manager who has had so many fall outs with the club’s important players as Mikel Arteta has

Arsenal legend Martin Keown has urged manager Mikel Arteta to stop falling out with superstars at the club, days after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s exit.

Aubameyang was the latest high-profile Gunner to leave the club in abrupt and controversial terms, and his exit came weeks after he was axed by Arteta.

Aubameyang
Aubameyang joined Barcelona on a free transfer from Arseenal. Photo: Getty.
Source: Getty Images

Ironically, Arteta had convinced the Gabon international to sign a bumper new deal that saw him rake in £350,000-a-week back in 2020.

However, in December 2021, Aubameyang, who was the club’s highest player, was stripped off captaincy and frozen out of the squad.

The 31-year old would go on to join Barcelona on a free transfer in January 2022, with Arsenal ripping up his contract.

While making an appearance on Talksport, Keown expressed concern over a pattern that has been quite prevalent at Arsenal in recent years.

“I don't know of another high profile manager who has fallen out with quite so many players,” Keown said as quoted by Sunsport.

The former Arsenal man also analysed that the sale of Aubameyang came with no replacements.

“There is no replacement that's come in for the striker. Arsenal are in a fight for fourth place and have an opportunity to do that.

“This player, slightly differently to the Ozil situation, the current manager give him the contract. He assessed the player, felt he was good enough to go so no problems.

Arsenal and player fall outs

Aubameyang is not the only superstar to see his Emirates career plummet spectacularly.

In 2020, Mesut Ozil was frozen out of the squad, and the German was left out of the Premier league and European squads for the 2020/21 campaign.

Ozil would go on to leave the club for free in January 2021.

Midfielder Matteo Guendouzi was also forced to leave the club for Marseille on loan after falling out of favor with the manager.

“You can't keep falling out with people. You could argue, and I've seen Arsenal fans say, if you step out of line then you're out but maybe not if you're Xhaka. He's stepped out of line a few times and come straight back into the team,” Keown went on.

Aubameyang blasts Arteta during Barca unveiling

Sports Brief earlier reported of how Aubameyang was brutally honest about his reasons for departing the Emirates, and it all had to do with the manager.

During his unveiling at the Catalan club, the 2015 African Player of the Year attacked Arteta but quickly cautioned himself not to spill more than necessary.

"My last few months at Arsenal were complicated, that's football sometimes," he said.
"For my part, I never wanted to do anything wrong. My problem was only with Arteta. I can't say much more, I wasn't happy.”

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Rene Otinga
Rene Otinga is a sports journalist with over eight years of working experience in digital media. Rene's experience includes working as a Copywriter at X News Kenya and TUKO.co.ke.
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