Arsenal have been warned they face a battle to keep hold of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang if he does not want to be at the club, and should consider selling the forward.
The Gunners’ skipper has put off talks over a contract extension as he continues to weigh up his future in north London.
With little over a year left to run on his deal, Arsenal are already in a compromising position, and could lose him for nothing next summer if the situation is not resolved in the coming months.
Now club legend Ray Parlour has urged his former employers to think about reinvesting money from his sale into new targets.
He told talkSPORT : “I think you’ve got to sell him if he doesn’t sign a contract, and then take the money and try to replace him.
(Image: Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
“It’s really difficult to keep a player if he doesn’t want to stay.
“It’s a big decision to make, but I don’t know what sort of money you could get for him if he doesn’t want to stay. If you get a good fee for him then you have to try and go out and replace him.
“That is difficult, but it has happened at every single club when players come to the last year of their contract.”
Aubameyang’s sale would be a big loss to Arsenal, given he is not only the club captain, but also their top goalscorer.
Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher feels Mikel Arteta should try and keep hold of the player, even if it is just for one more season to try and convince him his future is at Arsenal.
The 30-year-old’s main concern though is whether the club can match his ambition, as he still dreams of playing in the Champions League and fighting for silverware.
A number of clubs have shown interest with regards to a transfer, most notably Barcelona and Real Madrid.
And despite warning Arsenal they may need to offload their star man, Parlour still hopes that doesn’t prove to be the case.
“I’m praying that he wants to stay and Arsenal can sign him on a new contract and he can be there for the next two or three years under [Mikel] Arteta,” he added.
“It all depends on the manager as well, if they get on, and also if he feels the club is going forward.
“That is the big decision the club have got to make, but hopefully he stays.”
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