Auba breaks silence over Arsenal exile
BARCELONA. — Pierre- Emerick Aubameyang has broken his silence on his Arsenal exile, admitting that his problem was ‘’only with Mikel Arteta’’.
The former Gunners captain left North London this week, signing for Spanish La Liga football giants Barcelona on a free transfer after receiving a £7million severance package.
Aubameyang ( 32) hadn’t featured for Arteta’s side since December 6 last year, after falling out with the Spaniard over a disciplinary breach.
Revealing more at his Barca introduction, the striker said: “It was just him and he made that decision.
“He wasn’t happy, I can’t tell you more. He wasn’t very happy, I was very calm.
“My last few months at Arsenal were complicated, that’s football sometimes. 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.”
Up until the Gunners’ 2-1 defeat to Everton in early December, Aubameyang had captained Arsenal under Arteta.
But after returning back late from a club-authorised trip to France, the former Borussia Dortmund star was sensationally stripped of skipper duties.
He would go on to never play for the Gunners again.
Aubameyang made 163 Arsenal appearances in total, scoring 92 goals and laying on 21 assists.
He has penned a Barcelona contract up until June 2025, although the Spanish La Liga giants will possess the option to terminate the deal in the summer of 2023.
Aubameyang will wear the No. 25 shirt at Barca.
In his introductory press conference, he also admitted that he DID fly to Spain on Monday morning to try and seal a deal.
He added: “I really wanted to come here, that’s why I came in the morning, because I wanted to get things done. “We waited until the last moment because it was a bit difficult with Arsenal, but in the end I’m here.”
Aubameyang once promised his grandfather he would play for Real Madrid.
The Gabonese star finally ended his Arsenal hell this week, when he left North London to join Barca on a free transfer.
He looks all set to be a key man in Catalonia, replacing Sergio Aguero up front for Xavi’s men.
But while his move looks great on one hand, it all but ends his chances of ever playing for Madrid, as he previously hoped to.
In fact, when Aubameyang played for Borussia Dortmund, he said he’d only leave the German outfit for Madrid.
The 32-year-old said at the time: “The only club I would leave Dortmund for are Real Madrid. If they don’t come calling, I don’t leave.
“My grandfather, the dad of my mum, always wished that I would play in Spain.
“Two years ago, when he died, I promised him that someday I will play for Real - and I work hard to reach that goal.
“Real Madrid is my main goal but at the moment I like it in Dortmund. If there is a chance to go to Madrid, I will say immediately yes — but at the moment there is no contact.”
Aubameyang’s dramatic Deadline Day move to Barcelona looked to have fallen through, when the LaLiga side couldn’t reach an agreement with Arsenal regarding what proportion of his £350,000-a-week salary that they’d pay in a loan deal.
But the deal was back on after Arsenal paid a £7million severance package to get their former skipper off the books.
Aubameyang was then free to sign for Barcelona.
He may have had a scare when it emerged Barca wouldn’t be able to name one of their four January signings in their Europa League squad for the rest of the campaign.
But he needn’t have worried, with veteran Dani Alves missing out instead.