Disclaimer: I am in no way saying Aubameyang would be a bad signing for Arsenal. He will score goals. There is a reason he has attracted the attention in the first place. He is a top drawer striker.
Now... to the real reason you clicked on this.
The statement I made that really angered the Arsenal contingency on Twitter was as follows.
"I've been saying it for years. Aubameyang is a Balotelli. Bags and bags of talent, but such a p*** poor attitude meaning that he's more of a hindrance then a help. Why have Bayern Munich stayed way away from signing Dortmund's best player for the first time in a decade? Attitude."
Minor exaggeration? Perhaps. But I stand by everything I said. The Gabonese front man has created more headline for his off the pitch antics in the last year then he has for his performances in a Dortmund shirt. His flamboyant lifestyle has drawn attention of social media football fans all around the world, in particular his chrome Porsche super car. Turning up late to training has became a trait of Aubameyang, and club rules put in place by manager Peter Stoger have been quick to be broken.
The details of Aubamyang's actions have been hard to come by, but the indication is that there is more then meets the eye. The striker's attitude has always been an issue, and despite a desire to back their man at all times in the past, Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke and Sporting Director Michael Zorc have both publicly criticised P.E.A in recent weeks.
Reports also coming from the Dortmund camp indicating that the players have tired with the extremely long least Aubameyang is being restrained with by the Dortmund hierarchy. Reportedly expressing their concerns with the board in a recent meeting.
Comments made on Aubameyang's attitude aren't solely coming from Dortmund or irrelevant journalists on the internet. But also from outside sources, namely Bayern Munich boss Jupp Heynckes. The legendary manager was quoted referring to the want away striker as a 'rotten apple' and that in the footballing world, a players attitude does not suddenly change when moving to another club. These comments, supported by Frankfurt coach Niko Kovac, were meant as a warning to Arsenal.
An argument can be made that this attitude is a result of Pierre's desire to leave Dortmund. And to that I say. Coutinho wanted away from Liverpool, as did Luis Suarez. Alexis wanted out of Arsenal. All world superstars on the level of Aubameyang. All openly and publicly wanted out. But the key difference is not none of them went to every extreme to force a move through breaking club rules. The attitude shown by the Gabonese striker is not one you find with all want away footballers, just the ones with a lack of respect for their employers. This lack of respect that surely will not be tolerated at Arsenal. A club, ran by the men at the very top. Arsene Wenger is said to have a huge amount of power at the North London club due to his long tenure in charge. Any manager to follow you imagine will not have this same power. So suddenly, no amounts of goals could protect Aubameyang from the board who run Arsenal like a business more then any club in the land. They will likely not see the goals tally, but more likely they will see a negative public imagine on their club, due to the business of their striker. And in the business world, what happens to an employee bringing the business into disrepute? They get fired.
It appears clear that Dortmund have given up with Aubameyang, and wish to move on. No figure has been stated, just a statement that should Arsenal meet their requirements, they get their man.
Now a big part of Aubameyang's recent almost exile from BVB has been the players distaste to his actions. I'll keep this one short. P.E.A's attitude and lifestyle will not change should he get his move to Arsenal. So imagine this. It's late April, early May 2018. Arsenal have no silverware to their name (providing Manchester City beat them in the League Cup final, and how could you back against Pep's side!) Out of the title race, and are struggling to or perhaps even certain to fail in their race for a top four place. Imagine the reaction on the likes of Laurent Koscielny, Petr Cech, and other senior members of the squad when Aubameyang rolls up to training. Once again, is his chrome Porsche, late, laughing and joking, filming something for Twitter, or Instagram. All while he earns over £200,000 a week. And while his team mates are working hard to try and save a decidedly poor season. That would get anyone's backs up, and just like that, the distaste for Pierre has made its way to North London.
The signing of a big player will raise the moral temporarily in any side, it is then up to said player to keep that moral boosting. Not infuriate his team mates, something I am certain it will take the now former Dortmund striker mere moments to accomplish.
Coming back to that point about moral. Yes, a big name signing would always raise the moral of a side. But, in this case. Does that signing absolutely, 100%, have to be Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang?
Let's look at this logically. Arsenal are a club riddled with issues. Top players wanted out, fans wanting their manager out, the board seemingly not caring about on the picture results. Not to mention the contract debacle that saw Alexis leave for a snip of what he is worth, and could lead to the departure of Ozil and Wilshere this summer. So if you have £50 million to play with, why spend that money on a man who will simply add more fuel to the fire?
And to this I say. Edison Cavani.
Now I'm not saying I am a member of Arsenal's recruitment team (It seems to me that they actually seem to pay far less attention to actual football then they should!) But if I was, I would say this to them.
"So we have a lot of money and want a big name signing. How about, just a thought. Instead of a player who is a known trouble maker, we sign a professional."
To this I am met with a round of boo's (In my mind the Arsenal recruitment team are Arsenal fan TV) and they all tell me that Aubameyang's attitude is nothing when you look at his goals. So my response is.
"Yes but how about we sign someone who is a true professional as well as a brilliant goal scorer."
Who? Who? Who? (The recruitment team are now the New Day.)
"Why not Edison Cavani? Doing virtually no research will tell you that last season, in Aubameyang's best ever season for goals, Cavani out-scored him. He also averaged more goals per game then Pierre, had a better pass success rate which would play a big part when you consider Arsenal's style of play and he registered double the amount of assists. And that is just in the league. He out-scored Aubameyang in the Champions League too. And despite being deployed out wide for much of his time at PSG, a tactical decision Edison clearly was not fond on. He still played to an incredibly high standard and showed a first class attitude for the good of the team."
But Cavani is older then Aubameyang (As someone pointed out on Twitter the other night as if I had no idea.)
"Irrelevant. Cavani is a goal scorer, who is not incredibly quick, not a muscle bound Goliath, and despite being by no means short, he is only 6ft, so no giant either. And yet look at his goal record. He is a goal scorer with a goal scorer's brain. You never forget how to get into the right positions and you never forget how to put the ball in the back of the net. You never lose it despite your age. But do you know what you do lose? Physical traits. You know, like speed. Aubameyang's number one goal scoring tool. At 28, Pierre will probably have two, maybe three years before those legs can't carry him at an incredible speed anymore. At 30 years old Cavani is in the best form of his life as his knowledge of the game grows, and I don't think it's overly dramatic to say I can see him being a better player in three years time then he is now.
And now the recruitment team say to me that Aubameyang wants away from Dortmund, making the deal just a case of paying the correct fee, not convincing the player to leave a club he loves. (Again, this makes me question how much football this group of people watch.)
"Again, an irrelevant point. Because one, you could convince virtually any striker to move if you offer them a big enough pay packet (sad but true) And two, this in no way makes the Cavani deal a non starter because of one name. Neymar. The Uruguayan striker is clearly frustrated and sick of PSG's record signing. Sick of being pushed to second and potentially even third in command after Mbappe, and sick of his achievements being over looked. (He is now PSG's all time leading scorer.) Cavani would not take much convincing to come to North London.
I feel like this has gotten away from me a little bit, but to put it simply. The point I am making is that Arsenal should sign a big name to bring about a rise in moral within the club. But that signing should be a player who ticks all of the boxes. A player who wants to be there, be part of the side, only ever help the club grow as well as providing the goods between the white lines. Not a flamboyant trouble maker who's goals aren't enough for his current club to put up a fight to hold onto him.
The only reason I can think of for choosing Aubameyang above all else is his relationship with Henrikh Mkhitaryan. At Dortmund the two were sublime together, and with Mkhitaryan moving to Arsenal in a swap for Alexis, a chance to rebuild their connection could be what Arsenal are after. Which is a very fair point, but to this I'd say that quality always recognises quality. The great players player their best football with the other great players. Yes a ready made connection is a way to fast track to success, but that's not to say that Mkhitaryan couldn't play to the same standard with any other team mate.
Now watch this, in true style, P.E.A will complete his move to Arsenal, become a perfect professional and fire in goal after goal. In the unlikely event of this happening I am ready to stand corrected.
I feel as if Arsenal, a club in such turmoil need stability, and this move is just not a way to get it.
Minor exaggeration? Perhaps. But I stand by everything I said. The Gabonese front man has created more headline for his off the pitch antics in the last year then he has for his performances in a Dortmund shirt. His flamboyant lifestyle has drawn attention of social media football fans all around the world, in particular his chrome Porsche super car. Turning up late to training has became a trait of Aubameyang, and club rules put in place by manager Peter Stoger have been quick to be broken.
The details of Aubamyang's actions have been hard to come by, but the indication is that there is more then meets the eye. The striker's attitude has always been an issue, and despite a desire to back their man at all times in the past, Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke and Sporting Director Michael Zorc have both publicly criticised P.E.A in recent weeks.
Reports also coming from the Dortmund camp indicating that the players have tired with the extremely long least Aubameyang is being restrained with by the Dortmund hierarchy. Reportedly expressing their concerns with the board in a recent meeting.
Comments made on Aubameyang's attitude aren't solely coming from Dortmund or irrelevant journalists on the internet. But also from outside sources, namely Bayern Munich boss Jupp Heynckes. The legendary manager was quoted referring to the want away striker as a 'rotten apple' and that in the footballing world, a players attitude does not suddenly change when moving to another club. These comments, supported by Frankfurt coach Niko Kovac, were meant as a warning to Arsenal.
An argument can be made that this attitude is a result of Pierre's desire to leave Dortmund. And to that I say. Coutinho wanted away from Liverpool, as did Luis Suarez. Alexis wanted out of Arsenal. All world superstars on the level of Aubameyang. All openly and publicly wanted out. But the key difference is not none of them went to every extreme to force a move through breaking club rules. The attitude shown by the Gabonese striker is not one you find with all want away footballers, just the ones with a lack of respect for their employers. This lack of respect that surely will not be tolerated at Arsenal. A club, ran by the men at the very top. Arsene Wenger is said to have a huge amount of power at the North London club due to his long tenure in charge. Any manager to follow you imagine will not have this same power. So suddenly, no amounts of goals could protect Aubameyang from the board who run Arsenal like a business more then any club in the land. They will likely not see the goals tally, but more likely they will see a negative public imagine on their club, due to the business of their striker. And in the business world, what happens to an employee bringing the business into disrepute? They get fired.
It appears clear that Dortmund have given up with Aubameyang, and wish to move on. No figure has been stated, just a statement that should Arsenal meet their requirements, they get their man.
Now a big part of Aubameyang's recent almost exile from BVB has been the players distaste to his actions. I'll keep this one short. P.E.A's attitude and lifestyle will not change should he get his move to Arsenal. So imagine this. It's late April, early May 2018. Arsenal have no silverware to their name (providing Manchester City beat them in the League Cup final, and how could you back against Pep's side!) Out of the title race, and are struggling to or perhaps even certain to fail in their race for a top four place. Imagine the reaction on the likes of Laurent Koscielny, Petr Cech, and other senior members of the squad when Aubameyang rolls up to training. Once again, is his chrome Porsche, late, laughing and joking, filming something for Twitter, or Instagram. All while he earns over £200,000 a week. And while his team mates are working hard to try and save a decidedly poor season. That would get anyone's backs up, and just like that, the distaste for Pierre has made its way to North London.
The signing of a big player will raise the moral temporarily in any side, it is then up to said player to keep that moral boosting. Not infuriate his team mates, something I am certain it will take the now former Dortmund striker mere moments to accomplish.
Coming back to that point about moral. Yes, a big name signing would always raise the moral of a side. But, in this case. Does that signing absolutely, 100%, have to be Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang?
Let's look at this logically. Arsenal are a club riddled with issues. Top players wanted out, fans wanting their manager out, the board seemingly not caring about on the picture results. Not to mention the contract debacle that saw Alexis leave for a snip of what he is worth, and could lead to the departure of Ozil and Wilshere this summer. So if you have £50 million to play with, why spend that money on a man who will simply add more fuel to the fire?
And to this I say. Edison Cavani.
Now I'm not saying I am a member of Arsenal's recruitment team (It seems to me that they actually seem to pay far less attention to actual football then they should!) But if I was, I would say this to them.
"So we have a lot of money and want a big name signing. How about, just a thought. Instead of a player who is a known trouble maker, we sign a professional."
To this I am met with a round of boo's (In my mind the Arsenal recruitment team are Arsenal fan TV) and they all tell me that Aubameyang's attitude is nothing when you look at his goals. So my response is.
"Yes but how about we sign someone who is a true professional as well as a brilliant goal scorer."
Who? Who? Who? (The recruitment team are now the New Day.)
"Why not Edison Cavani? Doing virtually no research will tell you that last season, in Aubameyang's best ever season for goals, Cavani out-scored him. He also averaged more goals per game then Pierre, had a better pass success rate which would play a big part when you consider Arsenal's style of play and he registered double the amount of assists. And that is just in the league. He out-scored Aubameyang in the Champions League too. And despite being deployed out wide for much of his time at PSG, a tactical decision Edison clearly was not fond on. He still played to an incredibly high standard and showed a first class attitude for the good of the team."
But Cavani is older then Aubameyang (As someone pointed out on Twitter the other night as if I had no idea.)
"Irrelevant. Cavani is a goal scorer, who is not incredibly quick, not a muscle bound Goliath, and despite being by no means short, he is only 6ft, so no giant either. And yet look at his goal record. He is a goal scorer with a goal scorer's brain. You never forget how to get into the right positions and you never forget how to put the ball in the back of the net. You never lose it despite your age. But do you know what you do lose? Physical traits. You know, like speed. Aubameyang's number one goal scoring tool. At 28, Pierre will probably have two, maybe three years before those legs can't carry him at an incredible speed anymore. At 30 years old Cavani is in the best form of his life as his knowledge of the game grows, and I don't think it's overly dramatic to say I can see him being a better player in three years time then he is now.
And now the recruitment team say to me that Aubameyang wants away from Dortmund, making the deal just a case of paying the correct fee, not convincing the player to leave a club he loves. (Again, this makes me question how much football this group of people watch.)
"Again, an irrelevant point. Because one, you could convince virtually any striker to move if you offer them a big enough pay packet (sad but true) And two, this in no way makes the Cavani deal a non starter because of one name. Neymar. The Uruguayan striker is clearly frustrated and sick of PSG's record signing. Sick of being pushed to second and potentially even third in command after Mbappe, and sick of his achievements being over looked. (He is now PSG's all time leading scorer.) Cavani would not take much convincing to come to North London.
I feel like this has gotten away from me a little bit, but to put it simply. The point I am making is that Arsenal should sign a big name to bring about a rise in moral within the club. But that signing should be a player who ticks all of the boxes. A player who wants to be there, be part of the side, only ever help the club grow as well as providing the goods between the white lines. Not a flamboyant trouble maker who's goals aren't enough for his current club to put up a fight to hold onto him.
The only reason I can think of for choosing Aubameyang above all else is his relationship with Henrikh Mkhitaryan. At Dortmund the two were sublime together, and with Mkhitaryan moving to Arsenal in a swap for Alexis, a chance to rebuild their connection could be what Arsenal are after. Which is a very fair point, but to this I'd say that quality always recognises quality. The great players player their best football with the other great players. Yes a ready made connection is a way to fast track to success, but that's not to say that Mkhitaryan couldn't play to the same standard with any other team mate.
Now watch this, in true style, P.E.A will complete his move to Arsenal, become a perfect professional and fire in goal after goal. In the unlikely event of this happening I am ready to stand corrected.
I feel as if Arsenal, a club in such turmoil need stability, and this move is just not a way to get it.
