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‘Just pay him’, Bacary Sagna urges Arsenal to renew deal of 20-goal striker

Former Arsenal defender Bacary Sagna has urged the Gunners to meet the salary demands of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and commit him to a new long-term contract.

Aubameyang, 30, has been the standout performer for the club in the attack this term and he has netted 20 goals and registered one assist across all competitions.

Despite his efforts, the club have endured a frustrating season in the Premier League where they have been playing catch up to the European places for most of the campaign.

Amidst this, Aubameyang has shown the reluctance to extend his contract beyond June 2021 but Sagna feels the club should just meet the forward’s wage demands to keep hold of his services.

In an interview with Goal.com, Sagna said that the north London side are building something ‘strong’ under Mikel Arteta and they can’t afford to lose Aubameyang at the current phase.

The Frenchman added that the club must avoid a Robin van Persie-like situation from 2012 and believes Aubameyang deserves a sizeable salary package as he is the best striker in the Premier League.

“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,” he told.

“So don’t spend this £150m, just spend £50m and give it to him. It’s the same as [Robin] van Persie and I think you have to learn from that situation. Auba deserves it. I’m not saying that because of his name or because he has scored a few goals. He’s the best striker in the league.”

Aubameyang has revealed his commitment towards the Gunners on a number of occasions this term and he recently said that he is ‘really happy‘ to ply his trade for the club.

Still, the forward has been reluctant to pen an extension and that is quite reasonable, given he may be eyeing a final big contract as he is still in the prime of his career.

Elsewhere, the lack of Champions League football could be another hurdle in the negotiations and it will be interesting to see whether the club can convince him to sign a new deal before the next transfer window.

Otherwise, it is most likely that the club will cash in on his services rather than losing him on the cheap in January 2021 or for free at the end of next season.

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