Paul Merson sends message to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang regarding Arsenal future: report

Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson has urged Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to sign a long-term deal at Arsenal as a move away from the club could prove costly at the present phase of his career.

Aubameyang has been a consistent performer for the side since his move from Borussia Dortmund a couple of years ago and he has bagged 61 goals and 13 assists from just 97 appearances.

Despite the impressive contribution, the Gunners have not won any silverware during his time at the club and it has now come to the point where they need to either renew his deal or part ways with his services.

Aubameyang’s existing contract expires in June 2021 but Merson believes the 30-year-old should commit his long-term future to the club as the ‘grass is not always greener on the other side’.

The former Arsenal attacker added that Aubameyang is guaranteed regular playing time with the north London side and the same may not be the case elsewhere, suppose he fails to adapt over a short period of time.

“I was very fortunate to play for Arsenal for a long time and make no mistake about it, it’s a great club. The grass is not always green on the other side, you have got to be careful,” Merson said in his Sky Sports column.

“Aubameyang is at an age now where he will play every week for Arsenal. If he goes to, say, Manchester United or somewhere else, four or five bad games and you are out of the team.

“If I were Aubameyang’s agent I would be stressing that he is at one of the best clubs in the world, a phenomenal football club that has as much chance as anybody, bar Manchester City and Liverpool, winning something. For me, I would stay.”

Aubameyang’s contract standoff could be compared to Alexis Sanchez’s a couple of years ago, where the Chilean remained reluctant to put pen-to-paper on a renewal.

Eventually, Sanchez made the surprise move to arch-rivals Manchester United but that proved the downside to his career as he failed to replicate the performances from his Arsenal days.

Throughout the current season, Aubameyang has regularly given the indication that he is committed to the Gunners and recently stated that he is ‘really happy‘ playing for the club.

Gunners boss Mikel Arteta played a key role in convincing Granit Xhaka to stay put with the club earlier in the year and it remains to be seen whether the Spaniard can do the same with Aubameyang.