Arsenal could be forced to sell Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang after it emerged that the striker is demanding a £300k-a-week in order to put pen to paper on a new Emirates contract.
Aubameyang has been lethal in front of goal once again this season, scoring 20 times so far – double the amount of his most prolific team-mate – 18-year-old Gabriel Martinelli.
And with less than 18 months left to run until he becomes a free agent, Arsenal now face a crunch decision on whether to pay the huge weekly amount the Gabon international is requesting, as reported by the Daily Mail, or sell him this summer.
The Gunners refused to be held to ransom by Aaron Ramsey, who left for Juventus on a free transfer last summer.
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Now the club finds itself once again in a similar scenario as they attempt strike a deal with star striker Aubameyang, who believes he doesn't need to win trophies to be defined as a top striker.
Speaking to Soccer Saturday he said: "I'm a striker so I will defend my side – I don't think you need trophies to be a top striker.
"Of course, it can help you but we've seen a lot of great players that didn't win trophies but we respect them because of their quality.
"You don't need to win trophies but if you win it, it's better."
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Arsenal have been warned not to repeat the mistake they made by handing a mega-money contract to Mesut Ozil when it comes to renegotiating with Aubameyang.
Ozil had just six months remaining on his deal when he finally put pen to paper on an agreement which sees him bank a staggering £350,000-per-week.
But Arsenal hero Martin Keown has warned his former club to be cautious of making the former Borussia Dortmund star a bumper offer, in case things go sour as they have with Ozil.
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“Key decisions need to be made [with Aubameyang and Lacazette],” Keown told Goal, while speaking as an ambassador for the FA and McDonald's Grassroot Football Awards.
“Are they going to stay or not? Do Arsenal have to face up to the prospect of perhaps losing Aubameyang? I wouldn’t want to see him go, but they don’t want to be held to ransom either.
“You could argue with Ozil that’s what happened because at the time [Alexis] Sanchez and Ozil were two big players and they didn’t want to lose both so they invested heavily in Ozil.”
And here are three strikers who Arsenal could potentially sign to replace Aubameyang if he does leave the Emirates this summer.
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