Arsenal will face a predicament in the summer transfer window, if it goes ahead. It’s thought that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is the subject of interest for a number of European clubs, with the likes of Manchester United and Barcelona being thrown out there in recent weeks.

According to the English outlet Goal, former Arsenal defender Bacary Sagna has issued the club a warning. The Frenchman has claimed that the club’s hierarchy should invest all their effort into keeping Aubameyang, since replacing him could prove too costly.

“He can’t go now because Arsenal are on the way to building something strong. They can’t afford to lose him. If they have to pay him, then just pay him because if they want someone else of his quality they cost £150m.”

– Bacary Sagna (quote via Goal)

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been one of Arsenal’s go-to players this season. Before the coronavirus pandemic put a break to this season, Mikel Arteta’s men were undergoing a resurge and it was looking likely they would climb a few places in the Premier League, with Aubameyang’s exuberant goal-scoring talents being at the forefront of this renaissance.

It’s been a long time since Arsenal had a striker they could rely on to come up with the goods so consistently. Bacary Sagna recalled this last time by reminding the board they don’t want a repeat of the Robin van Persie situation, whereby Arsenal lost their world-class striker to a rival club and failed to replace him for many years.

There are certainly attackers out there that could replace Aubameyang, this goes without saying. The likes of Moussa Dembele and Thomas Lemar are both available, however, like Sagna says, they could cost an extortionate amount of money. While Aubameyang is still going strong, the money should be invested into a bumper contract, rather than splashing the cash on a replacement.

Header photo: Ronnie Macdonald, 2007