Aubameyang: Leaving Arsenal without a goodbye hurts

Arsenal have confirmed the departure of striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and the 32-year-old will join Barcelona on a free transfer.  He has trained with the La Liga side on Tuesday and is expected to feature in the side’s next match against Atletico Madrid on Sunday. The Gunners became willing to allow the 32-year-old to leave after stripping him of the captaincy, in December following a disciplinary issue. Aubameyang didn’t play for the club after December 6, and was left out of their squad for their warm-weather training camp in Dubai. 

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⚡ For the match-winning moments
?‍♂️ For the iconic celebrations
? For making us smile

Thank you for everything, @Auba ❤️

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) February 1, 2022

An Arsenal statement on Tuesday night confirmed Aubameyang’s exit: “We wish Auba all the best for the next chapter in his career and thank him for his contribution to the club.”

Later on Tuesday evening, Aubameyang posted a goodbye message on social media: “To the Arsenal fans, thank you for making London home for myself and my family for the past four years.

“We went through ups and downs together and your support meant everything to me.

“Having the chance to win trophies and the honour of being the captain of this club is something I will forever keep in my heart.

“I have always been 100 per cent focused and committed on doing everything I can for this club which is why leaving without a real goodbye hurts – but that is football.

“I’m sad I did not get the chance to help my teammates in the last few weeks, but I have nothing but respect for this club and truly wish all my guys and the fans all the best and many successful years in the future! Love, Auba.”

Aubameyang leaves Arsenal after spending four years at the club, since joining from German club Borussia Dortmund in January 2018 for a club record fee of GBP 60 million. The prolific striker has scored 92 goals in 163 appearances for Arsenal.

The Gabon international arrived in the Catalan city earlier on Monday to finalize negotiations with Barcelona. The transfer window closed at Monday midnight but Barcelona gained some extra time to make the deal official because Aubameyang reportedly became a free agent before the deadline.

Aubameyang, Arsenal’s highest-paid player, reportedly had to accept a hefty pay cut to join Barcelona as the club doesn’t have a lot of salary cap space. The La Liga side has been slowly restructuring its finances after it failed to keep Lionel Messi at the end of last season.