Striking Comparisons Between Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang And Robin Van Persie At Arsenal

There was, at the time, nobody in the Premier League
PINC
better at finding the back of the net. Indeed, nobody scored more goals over the 2011/12 season than Robin Van Persie, netting 30 times for Arsenal. But rather than emboldening the Dutch striker it only further underlined his helplessness. For all those goals the Gunners only managed a third-place finish, 19 points off top spot.

Of course, Van Persie ultimately made the controversial move to Manchester United that summer in order to stand a better chance of glory. Within just 12 months he had the Premier League trophy in-hand and a winners medal around his neck. Van Persie finally became a champion, something he wouldn’t have achieved at Arsenal.

Eight years later, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang finds himself in a similar situation. With some competition from Sergio Aguero and Harry Kane, he too is the best out-and-out striker in the Premier League at this moment, scoring 49 times in 75 appearances since making the move to North London from Borussia Dortmund in January 2018. This scoring record has got Aubameyang no closer to the Premier League title, though.

This is apparently of increasing agitation to the Gabonese international. Aubameyang is good enough to play for almost every elite team in Europe and has become aware of this as the summer 2021 expiration date of his contract. Recent reports suggest Arsenal are losing hope of keeping their best player beyond this summer with potential suitors circling.

“They are completely right to want him because he’s a superb player,” Mikel Arteta admitted recently when asked about the interest of rival teams in his player. “He completely deserves to be liked by other teams but hopefully we can convince him that this is the right place for him. And he has a future for here.”

Barcelona have been linked. “I know [Aubameyang]. He has a profile that has depth. He is important, and in his team he is decisive,” Barca sporting director Eric Abidal recently said when asked about the Arsenal man. Man Utd and Real Madrid have also been mentioned as potential destinations should the Gunners fail to persuade their top scorer to stay.

The flip side of the argument is that Arsenal could use the funds raised by the sale of Aubameyang to accelerate their rebuild. If they don’t move him on this summer they will likely lose him for free next summer and with that an opportunity to use the free market to their advantage would be spurned. 

It could be the case that Aubameyang’s departure from the North London club suits all. This is something of a rarity in the modern game, but both player and club would likely benefit from a parting of ways. Now 30 years old, Aubameyang might not get another chance to challenge for top honours at another elite club. Arsenal might also have squeezed all they are going to get out of a player who doesn’t truly want to be there.

This summer’s transfer window presents a notable crossroads for both Aubameyang and Arsenal. Both hope to scale the heights of the English and European game, but harbour doubts over each other’s ability to help them achieve that target. There is a sense that the relationship between the two is becoming strained.

Van Persie’s exit in 2012 worked out better for the Dutch striker than it did for Arsenal. The Gunners went a number of years without a direct replacement for Van Persie before Aubameyang pitched up. It’s been 16 years since Arsenal lifted the Premier League trophy. Van Persie had his Premier League title within one season of departing North London. Aubemeyang’s destiny has yet to be decided.