3 reasons why Arsenal should sell Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang in the summer

Every club has marquee figures and star players, those who seemingly get more press than the others. Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang is that man for Arsenal but his days of being untouchable at the Emirates are all but over. Given the current state of affairs in the world, this summer presents itself as the best opportunity for the club to sell the striker, with a lot of uncertainty surrounding the return of football as we know it.

The Gabonese international has been the captain of an Arsenal side experiencing their worst Premier League season ever. He has been at the forefront of an embarrassing collapse, and some of the downfall can be attributed to his inability to contribute to the team's play without scoring goals. In essence, many have realised that if the 30-year-old is not scoring goals, he's not doing anything.

Here are three reasons why Arsenal should sell Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang in the summer.

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#3 He's not likely to sign a new deal

Aubameyang has scored 61 goals in an Arsenal shirt

Things are changing at the Emirates, a new regime has taken over. The trio of Raul Sanllehi, Vinai Venkatesham and Edu Gaspar have changed the way things work at Arsenal, adopting a much more ruthless approach. The results of this were apparent in the way they handled the Aaron Ramsey situation.

Despite him being a valuable player, the higher-ups didn’t budge in refusing to offer him a new contract. This new regime refuses to bow to the demands of players at the detriment of the club, and they will not change that stance for the club’s top scorer.

The club has made it abundantly clear that they want the striker to sign a new deal but the Gabonese international has been reluctant to commit himself to the club. The new unofficial policy in place states that players will no longer be allowed to run down their contracts, meaning they will be sold before their deals run out.

The Gunners should cash in on the in-form striker while his value is at its peak, especially in a time of financial uncertainty. It’d be better to sell him now than for him to see out his deal and leave on a free.

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#2 He will be 31 in the summer

Arsenal v Olympique Lyonnais - Emirates Cup

Arsenal's lead marksman has been in sensational form this season, playing at a level he's never showcased before. The 30-year-old is in his prime and such a high level of performance can only last for so long.

When you consider the fact that his most favourable attributes evolve around physicality and pace, his influence in games will inevitably subside in the near future. He’s a player who solely relies on his pace and finishing, and without one, the other won't be able to flourish.

Unfortunately, Aubameyang doesn't have the footballing intelligence to affect games without his pace. It's a fact that he will become 31 this summer, an age at which not many players can still be world-class at. Unless you’re Cristiano Ronaldo, anyone past 30 will struggle to maintain their physical attributes to the level required at the very highest level of the game.

Ronaldo is an anomaly due to his unparalleled mentality, and Aubameyang doesn’t possess such a strong mindset. It would make sense for the Gunners to cash in on Aubameyang now while he's at the peak of his marketability.

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#1 He has not delivered in crucial moments

How did Aubameyang miss that chance against Olympiakos?

There’s a difference between scoring a lot of goals and scoring important goals. When needed, the 30-year-old has failed to deliver for his team. A penalty miss against Tottenham springs to mind, as well as a career-defining blank in the Europa League final. This season, unfortunately, he saved his worst till last.

It’s not been a great season for the Gunners by any stretch of the imagination, but there was still a chance of qualifying for next year's UCL through the Europa League. A favourable knockout tie with Olympiakos was meant to be a foregone conclusion, but Aubameyang and co. couldn’t live up to their end of the bargain.

Although the striker scored a brilliant acrobatic goal with seven minutes to go in extra time to put his team in a position to qualify, the Gunners' poor defence saw Arsenal facing elimination soon afterwards.

With his team 2-1 down and in the 120th minute of the game, the 30-year-old missed a clear 1-on-1 chance from just 4 yards out as he mishit his shot. Aubameyang cost the Gunners their chance of UCL football next season, so would it not be absurd of him to leave because he wants Champions League football?